The German middle class views the coalition’s agreement on a reform package as a positive sign for the country. According to Christoph Ahlhaus, the Federal Managing Director of the BVMW association, the planned abolishment of reporting and documentation requirements, combined with the acceleration of approval processes, has the potential to “unleash the paralyzed German economy.”
However, he simultaneously criticized the coalition (Schwarz-Rot) for failing to achieve a complete scrapping of the solidarity surcharge. He noted that the surcharge would have provided the economy with an “immediate relief of around 12 billion euros.” The Soli is an supplementary tax based on the amount of income or corporate tax owed.
