The CDU’s economic wing is strongly rejecting the government’s proposed sugar levy. Gitta Connemann, the wing’s chairwoman, stated that the country does not need a “nanny state”. Instead, she emphasized that crucial support should focus on public awareness, comprehensive consumer information, and effective youth protection, arguing that “people are mature enough to make their own decisions”.
The CDU politician characterized a special tax on sugar as the beginning of a dangerous pattern or “slippery slope”. Connemann warned that such regulations could quickly escalate, fearing that if a chocolate bar is taxed today, the policy might eventually target steak or public sports facilities. She questioned who would ultimately decide which goods remain permissible, which will only become expensive, and eventually, what the state deems undesirable. “Where does state education begin, and where does it end?” she asked. She strongly argued that political action should aim to strengthen responsibility, not to “make freedom more expensive”. Other politicians within the Union parliamentary group have also criticized the plan.
The federal government plans to introduce this sugar tax on sweetened beverages, intending for the collected revenues to fund the national health insurance system. While the Union has recently had a contentious internal discussion about the measure-and Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister-President Daniel Günther (CDU) initially championed the tax idea-his efforts ultimately failed during the CDU federal party conference in Stuttgart.
