Before the presentation of the CDU/CSU election program, the chairman of the Left Party, Sahra Wagenknecht, criticized the Union’s tax plans and proposed a basic allowance on social insurance as an alternative. “The Union’s tax plans are a jumble for low and average earners” Wagenknecht told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Monday’s editions).
“The bigger the wallet, the bigger the relief: that’s the new beer mat of Friedrich Merz in 2025.” Whoever really wanted to relieve small and medium incomes should prevent social insurance contributions from rising further, she demanded.
This will happen again next year. “Low earners pay much more in social insurance premiums than in taxes – and the premiums are so high because health and pension insurance recipients pay for many non-insurance benefits in addition.”
The well-off would not be involved in these costs, she criticized. “Instead of giving tax gifts to top earners, we need a basic allowance on social insurance with unchanged claims.”
To finance the alternative, the contribution assessment ceiling could be raised and a health and long-term care insurance introduced, in which all citizens would pay in. “It can’t be that only low earners and the middle class finance the social state” Wagenknecht said.
“With a basic allowance on social insurance – similar to the tax – employees with low wages could be significantly relieved without receiving lower claims” she said to RND.