How do you say "everything that is not forbidden is mandatory" in German?

A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services" at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year.

Prostitution was legalised in Germany just over two years ago and brothel owners – who must pay tax and employee health insurance – were granted access to official databases of jobseekers. . .

Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job – including in the sex industry – or lose her unemployment benefit. Last month German unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month to 4.5 million, taking the number out of work to its highest since reunification in 1990.

The government had considered making brothels an exception on moral grounds, but decided that it would be too difficult to distinguish them from bars [Is this because of the nature of German bars, or that of the German government? - D.]. As a result, job centres must treat employers looking for a prostitute in the same way as those looking for a dental nurse.

At this rate maybe workhouses would be more merciful. One would think that this particular situation would have the Germans running afoul of EU rights directives, but perhaps not. From the Telegraph.

MEA MAXIMA CULPA: Looks like the Telegraph was snookered.

Posted by David on January 30, 2005 9:45 PM