The FDP will “modernize the right to strike”. The right to strike is an “important fundamental right”, it says in the draft of the election program, which the “Handelsblatt” (Tuesday edition) reports in excerpts.
“In critical areas such as transport, healthcare, and social services, kindergartens, energy, fire and civil protection, as well as waste management, a binding agreement on mediation at the beginning of collective bargaining and minimum notice periods, as well as the guarantee of a minimum operation, are needed” the party writes further.
The FDP also proposes a reform of the additional income limits in the basic security and housing benefit in the election program. The Liberals want to oblige recipients of social benefits to take stronger initiatives to overcome their need for help – for example, by accepting jobs that, according to current law, would be considered unbearable.
Otherwise, the social benefits will be reduced “step by step”. Furthermore, the standard rates in the annual adjustment will also be able to decrease. In pension policy, the FDP once again sets its concept of the stock pension.
The Liberals also want to introduce a new election model in the unemployment insurance. We want to shape the unemployment insurance more flexibly, so that lower contributions and more net from gross are possible, it says.
In times of increasing labor and skill shortages, the risk of long-term unemployment is lower, the Liberals justify the proposal.
“Therefore, we want to create the opportunity to decide on lower contribution payments and, as a result, a lower claim on unemployment benefits.” The reduced employer’s contribution will be paid out net.
Furthermore, the party demands from Christian Lindner comprehensive tax cuts. “We want to introduce a linear-progressive chance tariff in the income tax, which completely eliminates the middle-class bulge” it says in the paper.
“We want to increase the basic allowance by at least 1,000 euros” it says further. Currently, it is 11,784 euros per year. This strengthens the wage proximity principle, the Liberals justify their proposal.
At the top tax rate, the FDP will orient itself at the contribution assessment ceiling of the pension insurance. “This way, the top tax rate will not start at a year’s income of around 68,000 euros, but only at 96,600 euros” it says in the program draft.
The so-called cold progression will be automatically balanced out in the future, the solidarity surcharge will completely disappear. For the economy, the FDP proposes further relief measures. “We demand a reduction of the corporate tax burden to under 25 percent. We will completely abolish the solidarity surcharge and lower the corporate tax” it says in the program draft.
Furthermore, the Liberals plan a fundamental reform of the corporate tax system. “We want to set up a tax reform commission, simplify the German tax law, replace the trade tax with an internationally system-compatible alternative, and simplify the taxation of income from capital, rental, and leasing.” How the tax relief measures will be financed is not clear from the chapter on financial policy.