Finance
Bartsch calls for “climate wealth tax” after budget ruling
Dietmar Bartsch has an idea for how the traffic light coalition could address its financial concerns: a “climate wealth tax.” photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
There should be no social cuts, said the left-wing faction leader. He also refers to new Oxfam figures that identify the richest percent of the world’s population as having a major climate impact.
Left-wing faction leader Dietmar Bartsch has called for a “climate wealth tax” in view of the financial concerns of the traffic light coalition. “After the ruling from Karlsruhe, there should be no social cuts to plug the 60 billion hole,” Bartsch told the Germany editorial network. Not the “little people”, but multimillionaires and billionaires should be brought in to modernize Germany.
Last week, the Federal Constitutional Court declared a reallocation of loans worth 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to be null and void. They were approved to deal with the Corona crisis, but should be used for climate protection and the modernization of the economy. Now the billions are not available. The FDP then brought up cuts in social benefits.
“The latest Oxfam figures in particular show: We need a climate wealth tax,” said Bartsch. The development organization Oxfam presented a report on Monday according to which the richest percent of the world’s population caused as many climate-damaging greenhouse gases in 2019 as the five billion people who make up the poorer two-thirds.
Bartsch demanded that the traffic light make the necessary savings following the ruling elsewhere. The special fund for the Bundeswehr, which the Left rejects, should be put to the test and reduced accordingly.