At a closed meeting
More taxes for the rich, more minimum wage: SPD approves strategy paper
Standing behind the SPD strategy paper: Lars Klingbeil (first row, lr), party chairman, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Saskia Esken, party chairman, Matthias Miersch (second row, lr), new general secretary, Anke Rehlinger, Prime Minister of Saarland, Hubertus Heil (SPD) , Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and Katja Mast (third row), parliamentary secretary
© Annette Riedl / DPA
The SPD is already setting the course for the federal election campaign. The strategy paper, which has now been approved at a closed meeting, contains classic SPD demands.
Relief for 95 percent of taxpayers, purchase bonus for electric cars and a minimum wage of 15 euros: with a strategy paper to end the economic downturn SPD sets the first course for the 2025 federal election campaign. The concept, which was decided on in the evening at the closed meeting of the party executive committee, also provides for tax incentives for “Made in Germany”, a reform of the debt brake and other measures to reduce electricity prices.
Despite poor poll numbers, party leader Lars Klingbeil announced at the start of the meeting the goal of becoming the strongest force again in the 2025 federal election. “We want to win, we want to swear the party executive to that,” he said.
SPD is reflecting on its brand core
At its two-day closed meeting at the SPD headquarters in Berlin, the party leadership is intensively preparing for the first time for the federal election, which is currently scheduled to take place on September 28, 2025. The six-page paper entitled “We are fighting for Germany’s future: stimulating the economy, securing jobs, relieving the burden on employees” initially largely excludes topics from past European or state election campaigns such as the Ukraine war and migration.
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Instead, the party wants to concentrate on how the economic downturn can be stopped so that as many as possible benefit from it. “A new upswing for Germany must serve everyone and not just a few. This directional decision will also be at stake in the 2025 federal election,” says the election campaign paper, in which the SPD fully reflects on its core brand as a workers’ party.
Germany is in a “historical phase of change”. Especially in times when jobs are being cut and locations are being questioned, the SPD stands by the employees. “We are fighting for every single job.”
These are the key points of the strategy paper:
- Fundamental income tax reform: The SPD wants to relieve the burden on 95 percent of taxpayers. The one percent at the top of the income scale should pay for this. They should be held “a little more responsible”. According to party leader Saskia Esken, income starts at 15,000 euros per month.
- Discounts for “Made in Germany”: The party does not want to promote investments in Germany by reducing corporate taxes because that would be “not targeted enough.” Instead, she wants to link “comprehensive super depreciation and tax bonuses for companies to investments in future industries and good jobs in Germany.”
- E-cars: The SPD is paying particular attention to the severely ailing German auto industry, where thousands of jobs are at stake. In order to promote the sale of electric cars, a purchase bonus should be examined. The SPD also wants to introduce an electric car quota for leasing providers and provide tax incentives for electric company and company cars.
- Debt brake: In order to enable more investments in infrastructure, education or a climate-neutral and digital economy, the SPD continues to strive for a “targeted reform of the debt rules”.
- Minimum wage: The SPD expects it to rise “gradually and quickly” to 15 euros.
- Pension: The party is once again insisting on passing the second pension package this year, which is currently being held up by the FDP parliamentary group. “There is no longer any reason to delay or block the parliamentary decision in the Bundestag.”
- Energy prices: The high electricity prices should be cushioned more. The SPD board supports the expansion of electricity price compensation, particularly to the chemical and glass industries, and additional instruments to reduce network fees.
SPD relies on a duel between Scholz and Merz
The economic policy of the CDU under its chairman and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz is sharply criticized and sometimes exaggerated in several places in the paper: “Anyone who insults the employees in Germany as lazy and denies them good wages and secure pensions has respect for the real top performers lost who keep our country running with their hard work every day.”
Klingbeil made it clear that the SPD wants to focus the election campaign on the duel between Scholz and his challenger Friedrich Merz from the CDU. “The crucial question that citizens should ask themselves when they go to the voting booth is: Do they want Friedrich Merz or Olaf Scholz as Chancellor.” They want to severely question the Union’s “backward-looking policies” in the election campaign.
Klingbeil: “There is no personnel debate”
The SPD – currently the strongest government party – is far behind the CDU/CSU in all surveys and is either on par or just behind the AfD at 16 to 17 percent. The SPD leadership wants to go into the election campaign again with Chancellor Scholz as the top candidate. However, there should not be a formal decision on this at the board meeting.
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The official nomination is still not planned for the next party conference in June 2025. “This date will not be shaken,” said Klingbeil. But he also emphasized: “There are no personnel debates. I don’t expect there to be any at this meeting either.” Because of the Chancellor’s poor personal poll numbers, there is secret speculation in the SPD about whether the much more popular Defense Minister Boris Pistorius could be a more promising alternative.
The SPD had already replaced its general secretary at the beginning of the week. The previous deputy group leader Matthias Miersch stepped in for Kevin Kühnert, who resigned for health reasons.