Philipp Türmer, the chairman of the SPD’s youth organization (Juso), has urged the party’s leadership to adopt a tougher, “class‑struggle” stance ahead of the SPD top‑level conference. In a guest column for the Thursday issue of “Der Tagesspiegel”, he argues that the SPD must “fight and win the class struggle”.
Türmer criticises the 25 % flat tax on capital gains, saying it contributes little to the social‑security system and far less to the general tax pot than the burden faced by workers with middle‑class incomes. He points out that corporations shift profits to places where they are not taxed, leaving almost nothing to tax, while local artisans pay corporate tax dutifully. The 25 % capital‑gain tax was introduced under former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück (SPD).
He then turns to the issue of inheritance. “Effort‑free heirs” receive massive fortunes that are only marginally, or sometimes not at all, taxed. While workers pay multiple layers of social contributions and consumption taxes, the super‑rich inherit only when a tax adviser erred. Türmer claims that no one seems to notice the growing conflict between labour and capital. He accuses the SPD of ignoring distribution conflicts for too long, while cultural battles far from many people’s daily reality dominate the debate.
According to Türmer, the focus should now return to “distribution”. He sees this as a chance for the SPD to renew its mission and represent workers’ interests decisively. He further accuses the coalition partner CDU/CSU of running a “class struggle”. The Union, he writes, portrays itself as a partner in social partnership but in practice refuses to seek interest equalisation, trying instead to impose the interests of a small group of employers on 46 million employees. “The class struggle is already here. It is up to the SPD to join and win it” he asserts. “An SPD that dares to stand at the front of this fight is a social democracy with a future”.
