The parties position themselves for the Bundestag election. Follow all developments in the news blog.
CSU boss Markus Söder warns the Union in view of the latest polls before losing the government contract. “There is now a very great danger that there can be a majority beyond the Union. That must be clear to everyone. The leadership of a federal government through the Union, what the majority wants, is at risk,” said Söder in the Polit-Talk of picture. At the moment, both a left-wing alliance and a traffic light are conceivable. “It’s a serious situation. You can’t say that everything is going perfectly. We have to roll up our sleeves now.”
Only if the Union is strong and grows significantly will it have a chance to form a government in a self-determined manner. That is why there should now be “no false caution towards the SPD”. The Union must make it clear what the difference is between its candidate Armin Laschet and the SPD candidate Olaf Scholz. (08/16/2021)
FDP boss Lindner for the cancellation of subsidies for retirement at 63
According to FDP leader Christian Lindner, the next federal finance minister must consistently use the red pencil. “An aging society should no longer subsidize retirement at 63,” said Lindner to the editorial network in Germany. He added: “Even hybrid vehicles do not need funding. This is a deadweight effect. We should concentrate on setting up charging stations, not subsidizing leasing rates for company cars.”
The grand coalition decided to spend that was not financed sustainably. “Now we have work ahead of us to bring the economy on a growth path and to set the budgets. We will have to do politics without money more often.” Only an economic upswing would allow the state to grow out of its deficit. “People have to be able to work out lifelong dreams like their own four walls again, otherwise the cohesion becomes fragile.”
The state must be able to act again in its core tasks such as education, security and infrastructure. “To achieve this, the future finance minister will often have to reject requests for new subsidies or redistribution.” The name of this finance minister after the federal election is still unclear. But Lindner has already expressed interest and in a three-way alliance with the Union, the Greens or the SPD would have a good chance of winning the post. (08/16/2021)
Habeck calls for reform of the debt brake
Green leader Robert Habeck calls on Chancellor candidates Armin Laschet (CDU) and Olaf Scholz (SPD) to relax the debt brake in the Basic Law. “If we blindly adhere to the strict debt rules, this will constrict the country,” Habeck told the newspapers of the Funke media group. A moderate, targeted reform of the debt brake is the most sensible way in view of the low interest rates. The state needs more leeway to invest in climate protection and digitization. Laschet and Scholz should “finally face this debate seriously and constructively”. (08/16/2021)
Scholz calls tax relief for high earners “immoral”
Six weeks before the federal election, the SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz called on his party to fight for the election victory. “A departure is possible for our country. We can get a government that tackles the tasks of the future,” he said at the start of the SPD in the hot election campaign phase in Bochum. It is good that the SPD’s polls are giving the SPD a tailwind. He is also “very touched” by the fact that many people trust him to be head of government. The SPD must now make more of it and convince many people.
Scholz categorically rejects tax relief for high earners. “This is not only unfinanced, it is not based on solidarity and is immoral.” The finance minister reminded that the state was taking an enormous financial outlay to counteract the corona crisis. At the end of next year, he says, it will be 400 billion euros. “That’s why it’s something very, very strange when, in this situation, after we’ve done this, after we’ve stuck together in this way, some people think, people who earn as much as I do or a lot more, they really need some tax relief now. “
Scholz invoked “cohesion and solidarity” in society in the future too. What Germany carried through the pandemic must also be the principle in many other life situations. (14.8.2021)