Opposition: Union leadership: paper against weakening economy

The head of the Union faction in the Bundestag has presented a bundle of measures to boost the ailing economy and at the same time to relieve people and companies quickly and noticeably. “Germany doesn’t have a bad economy, it has a bad federal government,” says a 14-page “Sauerland Declaration” entitled “Take action: secure prosperity, create growth.”

The executive board of the CDU/CSU deputies approved the paper on Thursday evening under the direction of parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt.

The package of measures contains proposals from the CDU/CSU opposition faction – the Union faction cannot currently implement them alone. The Union politicians should hope that the polls will increase with the concrete proposals. The numbers have been bobbing below the 30 percent mark for months. And that despite the ongoing quarrels of the traffic light coalition.

Retreat day two: Foreign and security policy in the center

This Friday, the leaders of the Union faction want to continue their two-day retreat with discussions about foreign and security policy. The professor of international politics at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich, Carlo Masala, is expected as a guest in the home region of parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU). Finally, Merz and Dobrindt want to inform the public about the deliberations behind closed doors.

Union faction leader: “load brake” at 40 percent

The approved economic paper states: “Germany needs an investment offensive that effectively and sustainably combines business, climate and energy.” Employees and companies need more net than gross. To make work more worthwhile again, a “load brake” is necessary. Social security contributions should be capped at 40 percent. Overtime and work after retirement age should be made tax-free. The total tax burden on companies must be capped at 25 percent.

Union: electricity tax down

While the traffic light government is reducing the energy supply, the Union wants to expand it. The goal is an electricity price below 20 cents per kilowatt hour – including all taxes and duties, the Union demands. The electricity tax must immediately drop to the legal EU minimum of 0.05 cents per kilowatt hour. Network charges should be halved. “Everyone benefits equally: SMEs, trade and industry as well as all private households,” it continues. In addition, a quantum leap in grid expansion, the construction of new gas-fired power plants and the expansion of renewable energies is necessary.

“Bridge electricity price” for energy-intensive companies

For the energy-intensive industry in Germany, the high energy costs are a massive competitive disadvantage in a special way, it is said. In order to compensate for this, “we expect the federal government to come up with a calculated concept for a time-limited bridging electricity price that is also effective for medium-sized industrial companies”.

In addition, more incentives for private investment should be created, the Union demands. The aim is to triple the tax research allowance and increase the assessment basis to 12 million euros per company. A “Bureaucracy TÜV” should identify all regulations that burden employees and companies with unnecessary bureaucracy.

At the same time, incentives should be created to voluntarily keep older employees in work longer. “Anyone who works alongside their pension should be able to earn up to 2,000 euros per month tax-free,” emphasizes the head of the Union faction.