The Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Reinhard Marx, is convinced that lower incomes in Germany are not sufficient: “The wages are just too low. People who work should earn more than an unemployed person”, stated Marx. At the same time, the bishop underlined that an unemployed person should receive enough money to decently care for his family. Reinhard Marx is responsible for social issues at the German Bishops' Conference.

In his opinion, the overall social situation in Germany is rather difficult: In contrast to speeches of government representatives, the latest economic boom has not only resulted in the creation of good job opportunities. On the contrary, Marx observes a growing fear of social decline in the middle classes. In addition, he points to problems with integration and finds the gap between rich and poor is widening. According to him, many young people without education tend to fall into precarious circumstances almost automatically. Therefore, he describes the current situation as being “quite tense”.