The CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is causing a stir with its criticism of the tax reform. Top candidate Daniel Peters accuses Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil of breaking his word. He claims that of the planned relief of ten billion euros, not even a third remains. However, this claim does not hold up to a look at the draft law.
The promised ten billion euros for small and medium incomes are calculated up to 2028 – and that is before deducting the counter-financing, which was part of the coalition agreement from the start. This counter-financing, a higher wealth tax with a volume of around three billion euros, has been documented in black and white since the agreement. Parts of the Union now treat it as if it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Election Campaign Instead of Fiscal Policy
Behind the criticism lies less a calculation error than a political communication problem. In East German election campaigns, a mini-relief looks unattractive. Yet it was precisely the resistance of the CDU and CSU to stronger counter-financing that prevented a larger solution.
The case shows how the Union, after its transition from opposition to government, collides with fiscal reality. The fact check thoroughly spoils the outrage performance. The state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern takes place in September, and the CDU is polling at about ten percent – behind the SPD, AfD, and Left.
Source: www.zeit.de
