The Minister-President of Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig of the SPD, said she is against raising the value‑added tax to fund other tax cuts. In an interview with RTL and ntv, she called an increase in the VAT “poison” and rejected it outright. She noted that many everyday items have become too expensive, while many workers are being squeezed by steep rents and high prices for food and fuel. “Prices should not rise; fuel, for example, needs to fall urgently” she said.
Schwesig suggested lowering taxes on incomes up to €3,000 and raising the top rate, but only for higher earners. “Only those who earn a lot should contribute” she added. She also criticized CSU leader Markus Söder for rejecting a higher top rate, arguing that people who have demanded reforms in recent weeks and months-including Söder himself-should not automatically refuse every proposal. For her, the tax reform must be fundamentally fair.
