AfD Deputy Chief Kay Gottschalk recently delivered a surprisingly positive assessment of sustainable technologies, praising heat pumps and electric vehicles. In comments made to the weekly publication “Das Parlament”, he noted, “I have had a heat pump for a year, a photovoltaic system for four years, a battery home storage, and I drive an electric car from a German manufacturer that I am genuinely enthusiastic about”. He also asserted that no alternative can heat a home cheaper than a heat pump, and corrected the notion that these systems require underfloor heating.
Beyond energy, the financial politician indicated the need for changes within his own party’s platform. While detailing his revised views, he stated that a majority of his party no longer supports the 2022 resolution for German EU exit (“Dexit”). However, he maintained a strong demand for an end to European Union agricultural subsidies, arguing simply that “farmers do not need subsidies”.
Gottschalk also signaled a shift in the party’s pension policy. He acknowledged that the party’s program still aims to align the German pension level with Austria’s rate of 70 percent, but argued for a realistic stance, stating, “We also have to be honest here. We will have to rely much more heavily on private savings and capital funding”. To create a foundation for a capital-backed pension column, he proposed incorporating a portion of the child benefit into a state fund that would invest the money in capital markets, suggesting that revenue from motorway tolls could also flow into such a fund.
On the sensitive topic of raising the retirement age, Gottschalk suggested that it would be feasible for professions such as lawyers, architects, controllers, software engineers, or journalists to work longer than age 65, while perhaps noting that skilled tradespeople might not be in the same position.
Furthermore, the AfD politician offered praise for certain tax measures included in the recent Grand Coalition’s annual budget. He commended the reductions in the corporate tax and energy tax, as well as the increase in the commuter allowance. However, Gottschalk concluded by stating that, while these measures were positive, they were ultimately insufficient.