In a recent interview, the designated SPD General Secretary, Tim Klüssendorf, expressed openness to the idea of a “windfall profits tax”. He responded to a question about whether extraordinary profits from companies like Rheinmetall should be taxed, saying, “That’s a topic for discussion. The technical implementation still raises many open questions. Of course, I find the idea plausible in light of the developments of the last few years.”
Klüssendorf emphasized the need for the SPD to prioritize themes such as solidary distribution of wealth and tax fairness in the future. He also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to reforming the inheritance tax and activating the wealth tax, even in a coalition with the Union. “It is possible to represent SPD positions and still make government policy as a party with 16.4 percent of the vote” he said.
Klüssendorf defended the proposal by Labor Minister Bärbel Bas to include civil servants in the pension insurance system. “I think we need more transparency” he said. “The answer to rising social insurance contributions cannot be that people work longer or have their benefits cut.” However, he also suggested that the concept of “bürgerliche Versicherung” (citizens’ insurance) needs to be reworked.
In contrast to his predecessor, Klüssendorf ruled out positioning himself at the expense of the coalition partner. “You won’t hear me say, ‘The Union is holding us back from improving the world'” he told the taz. “I will formulate our messages positively and offensively for us.