Thorsten Frei, the head of the CDU parliamentary group, believes there is no scope for further tax relief beyond the €10 billion reform decided upon by the coalition. He told the “Rheinische Post” (Thursday edition) that any additional relief would need to be counter-financed, potentially through measures that could hamper business competitiveness-a scenario he strongly opposes. Frei noted that if the economy does not grow, tax revenues will not be plentiful and the state will have nothing to distribute. Simultaneously, in relation to forthcoming discussions about the 2027 budget in September, he called for greater fiscal prudence. The CDU politician stated that “in such a large budget, there is always savings potential.” Cuts, he argued, should target voluntary benefits that are not legally mandated, specifically citing financial aid and tax incentives. To achieve this, he called for an “intelligent lawnmower,” meaning one with variable cutting height.
Politics
