Die Zeit11 minutes agoPolitics1 min readGermany

SPD General Secretary Klüssendorf is calling on the federal government to reform and change course

After the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD politician warned against a loss of trust through reforms rather than cuts and called for greater taxation of assets.

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After the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf is calling on the federal government to change course and be more willing to change.
He criticizes reforms as cuts and calls for a debate on the revenue side and wealth taxation.

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Why It Matters

After the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD expressed criticism of its own political perception and called for measures to combat social inequality.

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SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf demands the will to change from the black-red federal government. “The federal government must recognize the times,” said the 35-year-old at the SPD’s state election conference in Lübeck. Given the results of the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, it is time to question ourselves.

Germany is facing “huge challenges” for which people must be won over so that acceptance of the federal government can arise. This wouldn't work if they were just told that they were too lazy or that nothing was working in the country. “That’s why my central message: We also have to change,” emphasized Klüssendorf.

“Who is surprised that when you take a sick note from day one with the accompanying rhetoric that people across society have the impression that we distrust them,” said the Secretary General. “That can’t surprise anyone.” Likewise, according to Klüssendorf, people lose trust when a tax-free pension is discussed - even though the SPD itself has fought for it for years.

Klüssendorf: Federal government could fail due to distribution issue

Reforms are needed, but if reform means cuts, the government will not be accepted. Given the current financial situation, the revenue side must be discussed with the Union in particular. “In Germany we now have the second highest concentration of wealth of all OECD countries,” explained the SPD General Secretary.

We cannot continue to allow heirs of millionaires and billionaires to escape tax-free and the hard-working people have to pay more. “Then we won’t be living up to our mission,” said Klüssendorf. People noticed how fair things were in society.

If this question is not addressed, then, according to Klüssendorf, “the federal government will fail”. “There is enough money in this society,” he said. Everything is a question of distribution.

In the state elections last Sunday in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD was by far the strongest force with 43.8 percent. The CDU got 17.2 percent - the SPD 9.3 percent.

Open Questions

How does the Union react to the demands for wealth taxation?
What specific reforms is the federal government planning?