Heidi Reichinnek, the head of the Left Party’s Bundestag group, welcomed the removal of value‑added tax on basic foodstuffs-a proposal that Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) has recently brought to the table. “I’m delighted that the Union is finally picking up the Left’s suggestion to eliminate VAT on staple foods” Reichinnek said to the “Welt”. She added that such relief has long been overdue and would signal that politics stands with ordinary people.
Reichinnek also criticised the government’s idea of raising VAT on other goods and services to fund this relief. “The idea of financing relief for the majority by burdening the majority is truly absurd. It would not only be a zero‑sum game but would push most people into even higher expenses, since the bulk of goods and services fall under the regular tax rate” she lamented.
The Greens joined the criticism. Deputy faction chair Andreas Audretsch told the “Welt” that the coalition should lower prices, not raise them. “It’s madness that the coalition is seriously considering raising VAT amid an oil‑price crisis and further fueling inflation. Jens Spahn’s inability to rule this out clearly shows how little he understands and takes the situation seriously” Audretsch said.
