CSU leader Markus Söder stated that the “relief premium” proposed by the SPD is no longer feasible. Speaking on Sunday during an ARD broadcast from Berlin, he asserted that the initiative had fallen through. He indicated that the days following the announcement revealed significant resistance to the idea from the business community, noting that he had previously assumed that agreements had been reached with the economic sector, a notion he now says was clearly incorrect.
Looking ahead to the coalition committee scheduled for Tuesday, Söder intends for the discussion to focus more strongly on an income tax reform. He doesn’t anticipate that a major tax overhaul will be passed there, but rather that the group will discuss the core principles and the process moving forward, much like what happened with the healthcare insurance reform.
Regarding the Union’s weak polling numbers nationwide, Söder continues to rule out forming a coalition with the Greens. He stated plainly, “Things will not get better with the Greens”.
