Reform Alliances in German Family Policy - 9th Annual ESPAnet ...
Reform Alliances in German Family Policy - 9th Annual ESPAnet ...
Reform Alliances in German Family Policy - 9th Annual ESPAnet ...
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they thus seized on the concept of a ‘susta<strong>in</strong>able family policy’. A heated debate exploded only<br />
over the new ‘daddy-months’, a two-month leave exclusively for fathers, which was<br />
disparaged by the conservatives as a governmental <strong>in</strong>trusion <strong>in</strong>to the private sphere of the<br />
family. Leaders of the party jok<strong>in</strong>gly referred to the ‘daddy months’ as ‘swaddl<strong>in</strong>g-<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternships’. iv<br />
But the conservative w<strong>in</strong>g of the party was on the defense. <strong>Family</strong> M<strong>in</strong>ister von der<br />
Leyen— a popular member of the CDU, the daughter of a former conservative governor, and<br />
herself a mother of seven— was not easy to dismiss as an enemy of the traditional family.<br />
Furthermore public, op<strong>in</strong>ion polls showed that Ursula von der Leyen not only communicated<br />
the reform effectively, but also was one of the most-liked politicians <strong>in</strong> <strong>German</strong>y. v In a<br />
democracy that is ever more focused on the media, the conditions of successful leadership<br />
change and, <strong>in</strong> her relations with the public and the media, von der Leyen showed a highly<br />
developed skill. (Helms 2000) She was able to describe and present her political ideas and<br />
policies effectively and thus mobilize <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g support. Additionally, and <strong>in</strong> contrast to earlier<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istrations, is that dur<strong>in</strong>g these reforms the <strong>Family</strong> M<strong>in</strong>ister had the full support of<br />
Chancellor Merkel.<br />
Von der Leyen also garnered support through well-planned public appearances and<br />
through co-ord<strong>in</strong>ation with the representatives of employer groups and local <strong>in</strong>itiatives,<br />
termed ‘Alliance for the <strong>Family</strong>’ (Klammer and Létablier 2008; Leitner 2008b). In her public<br />
appearances, she underscored the importance of a stable birthrate and rem<strong>in</strong>ded employers<br />
of the disadvantages of a scarcity of skilled workers for the overall economy. Through this<br />
coord<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g discourse (Schmidt 2002) and its clearly articulated arguments von der Leyen was<br />
able to br<strong>in</strong>g employers on board, even though that group traditionally functioned as an ally of<br />
the Right. As a result, <strong>in</strong>ternal party opponents caved <strong>in</strong>. In response to the clearly dissatisfied<br />
Christian Social Union, however, the coalition agreed <strong>in</strong> 2006 that the daddy-months had to be<br />
seen as a bonus, not an <strong>in</strong>tegral part of the leave.<br />
If we analyze the parental-leave reform through the lens of veto player theory, it is<br />
especially noteworthy that the second chamber (Bundesrat) was neutralized as a potential<br />
veto player. However, this neutralization does not expla<strong>in</strong> why the conservative party adopted<br />
a new policy. Our analysis shows that for the first time there are substantial overlaps <strong>in</strong> the<br />
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