Press Statement Summary of the 2023 Social Elections

Hans-Jürgen Urban, Executive Board Member of IG Metall: “The good newsis that IG Metall has increased its share of the vote. We will be the voice of the insured in cases of disputes, ensure the fair use of financial resources, and keep a close eye on the administration.

Despite all the publicity surrounding the social elections, voter turnout is low, and there’s no sugarcoating it. Social self-governance and oversight by the insured are indispensable, but the social elections have no future in their current form. The effort involved in the election process for just a few insurance providers is disproportionate to the benefits. A substantive election campaign is virtually impossible due to legal requirements, and many list names are misleading.

The fact is: Social elections are held for only a minority of health and pension insurance funds. The vast majority of self-governing bodies function just fine without a cumbersome mail-in voting process.”