German Social Democratic Party’s General Secretary Calls for Electoral Reform to Boost Women’s Representation in the German Parliament
The German Social Democratic Party’s General Secretary, Tim Klüssendorf, has urged the need for electoral reform to increase the proportion of women in the German parliament. In an interview with the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, Klüssendorf expressed concern over the decline in the number of women in the Bundestag, stating that it is alarming and that the party must take action to address the issue. He suggested that a parity law for elections be introduced, aiming to achieve a more balanced representation of women and men in politics.
On the eve of the SPD’s party convention, which is set to begin on Friday, Klüssendorf showed understanding for the prominent SPD politicians who have called for a shift in the party’s foreign policy in a recent “manifesto”. He acknowledged the criticism that the party’s recent emphasis on military build-up and weapons systems has overshadowed diplomatic approaches, saying that this is a criticism he can understand.
However, Klüssendorf disagreed with the manifesto’s suggestion that Germany should seek to justify Russia’s actions, describing this as entirely false. He emphasized that Putin is the aggressor and has shown no willingness to engage in constructive dialogue.
In other policy areas, Klüssendorf called for a reform of the inheritance tax, stating that the party should respond to an expected court ruling on the issue. He proposed that the party should address the problem of struggling to delay payments on inheritance and that this could be achieved by introducing a new system to reduce the burden on family-owned businesses.
The SPD’s General Secretary also urged the government to take a more decisive stance against tax evasion, highlighting the need to address new forms of financial fraud, such as the carousel fraud, which has resulted in billions of euros in lost revenue.