Steffen Bilger, the CDU/CSU’s Managing Director in the Bundestag, stated that he is prepared to discuss raising the top tax rate as part of the tax reform measures. Speaking to RTL and ntv on Tuesday, Bilger emphasized that any major overhaul requires clarifying how the new funding will be secured. “We are not afraid of debate” he said, though he added that he does not believe the current timing is ideal for tax increases. Bilger further argued that because the current crisis and its global ramifications are so massive, the government needs more structural changes than those originally agreed upon in the coalition contract.
Connecting this need for reform to coalition negotiations, Bilger noted that if the CDU/CSU demands significant concessions from the SPD, it is understandable that the coalition partner would, in turn, expect the CDU/CSU to make accommodations on certain points. According to Bilger, “It all depends on a good package, but the central focus must be getting the economy running again. For that, we need reforms”.