It wouldn’t be the first progressive idea to be taken on by conservatives. A group of Bundestag members in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have proposed offering parents a basic state income — independent of their own financial situation. The fixed monthly payment, the exact amount of which was not mentioned, would be tied to child care costs and would be subject to social insurance contributions. The payment, part of what the CDU calls its “family pact,” would also be paid out from birth until the child starts school, regardless of whether the parents send their children to kindergartens or...