SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch severely criticized the Union’s most recent proposal for tax reform. He challenged the plan, arguing that the concept disproportionately benefits the wealthiest citizens, noting, for example, that “a third of the planned relief falls on the top five percent” a claim to which he expressed deep skepticism.
Miersch sharply dismissed the attempt by two CDU politicians to fund the reform through departmental savings, calling the proposed counter-financing mechanism “unreliable”. He further argued that several CDU-led ministries might not be able to deliver the promised savings in personnel and administration. Consequently, he stated that the latest Union suggestions amount to unsustainable “book entries in the air” and are incapable of forming the basis of serious political policy.
According to Miersch, the current economic reality shows that low and middle-income groups are suffering the biggest impact from rising prices-from food to transportation-a pattern observed during the COVID-19 crisis and the energy crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. To ease this burden, he asserted that the highest earners must contribute more significantly. He emphasized that he believes there is scope for this contribution and stressed that determining how the wealthy can contribute fairly to the common good must be “an important topic” addressed by the planned tax reform.
For Miersch, the underlying issue is one of social cohesion. He argued that the growing divide between the middle classes and the very rich is a critical issue that must be addressed to maintain the country’s stability, adding that the Union itself could not wish for this widening gap to continue unabated.
