Fourteen civil society organisations, with a total of over 20 million associates, including members, employees and volunteers, have founded the Alliance for a Strong and Sustainable Welfare State. The Alliance criticises the growing imbalance in political debate, where the welfare state is repeatedly described as unsustainable or as a mere cost factor. The initiative contrasts this narrative with a positive, fact-based approach: the welfare state is not only financially sustainable, it argues, but “essential for social peace, economic participation, and democratic stability”. Caritas President Eva Welskop-Deffaa said: “We need an efficient welfare state, which means first and foremost accessible social services; in cities and rural areas, in parenting support, in outpatient care, and in childcare”. According to the president, “anyone who cuts funding in times of rising social tensions, economic uncertainty, and demographic challenges acts as if they take the fire engine off the fire brigade during a fire. Cutbacks on the social safety net prevent necessary and preventive care. They also reduce opportunities for the many volunteers willing to help people in need, thus weakening the network of paid and voluntary work that supports our society”. The Alliance calls on the federal government to better support the policies that strengthen the welfare state.