A German politician’s stance on social policy and taxation has sparked a debate in the country’s political arena. Matthias Miersch, the General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has advocated for “tough sanctions” against individuals who illegally work while receiving social benefits, known as Bürgergeld in Germany.
In an interview with the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, Miersch emphasized the importance of social policy as a core aspect of the SPD’s identity. He stated that the party must take a firm stance against individuals who engage in parallel employment and receive social benefits, as this practice undermines the social security system. Miersch’s remarks have drawn criticism from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), who have accused him of populism.
The CDU and CSU have proposed a mandatory labor requirement for Bürgergeld recipients, a measure that Miersch deemed “highly dangerous”. He pointed out that the CDU and CSU were also involved in the creation of the Bürgergeld system. Miersch highlighted the SPD’s commitment to reducing the financial burden on low-income individuals, citing the party’s plan to alleviate the tax burden for 95% of taxpayers in the event of a future government participation.
The plan, according to Miersch, would involve increasing the tax burden on the top 1% of earners, with those earning a million euros per year facing an additional 20,000 euros in annual taxes. He argued that this was a fair and equitable approach. In contrast, the CDU’s proposed taxation model would allegedly result in a 24,000-euro annual tax reduction for millionaires, according to SPD calculations.