The Federal Minister of Finance wants to save citizens' money and increase pressure on beneficiaries. He also calls for more respect for those who earn more.
A heart especially for the rich: Federal Finance Minister Lindner wants to increase pressure on those receiving citizen benefits Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
SEDAN dpa | Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) calls for a review of citizens' money. “Citizens' money needs an update. It is not an unconditional basic income,” Lindner said. Rhineland Post (Wednesday). “We have to do everything we can to ensure that people who can work actually work.” There are many adjustments to this, from the question of the reasonableness of the work offered to sanctions and job opportunities such as one-euro jobs.
Lindner believed that the majority of the population considered the citizens' benefit to be unfair because it contained very few incentives to work. “Correcting undesirable events here is a contribution to social peace,” said the Minister of Finance. “I also hear that behind closed doors from social democratic leaders. Let's do it.”
At the same time, Lindner defended himself against criticism from the SPD and the Greens about his planned tax reduction. “If social benefits adjust to price developments, then the same should apply to taxes on the workforce,” she said. “Our coalition partners do not hesitate to increase citizens' money, but they are fighting against simple inflationary compensation for specialists and managers, as well as for medium-sized companies.”
He Image (Wednesday) Lindner said there was a lack of respect for taxpayers among his coalition partners. It's not just low-income people who deserve justice. “We must also recognize the performance of specialists and managers, as well as medium-sized companies. Treating these people like pack mules takes away their desire to act.”
Lindner wants to increase the basic subsidy for the tax on wages and income retroactively to January 1, 2024. In an interview with the German Press Agency he also promised changes to the income tax for 2025 and 2026. So it is necessary to rebalance the so-called cold progression. This refers to the effect of high inflation on income tax, which would ultimately lead to a secret tax increase.