Djir-Sarai in “Early Start”
FDP General speaks of “conflict” in the traffic light
06/10/2022, 08:58 am
The traffic light coalition is arguing about taxes and tax relief. The FDP General Secretary describes Robert Habeck’s proposals as “arbitrary”. From his point of view, the tank discount, which the SPD and the Greens are questioning, works.
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai has sharply rejected the proposal for a so-called excess profit tax. “If the Minister for Economic Affairs sticks to this line, then there will be a conflict because we see it completely differently. An excess profit tax would massively damage the business location,” said Djir-Sarai in “Frühstart” on ntv.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck from the Greens had said on RTL/ntv with a view to the profits of mineral oil companies that it was right “not to accept every profit”. Djir-Sarai criticized that this was a “purely arbitrary action” by Habeck, which would “open the floodgates for further arbitrary measures”: “Because no industry in Germany would be safe from government considerations of this kind in the future. Therefore, a very clear rejection by the FDP.”
Asked about an initial balance of the tank discount and whether the instrument could last until the end of August, Djir-Sarai said: “Of course the whole thing will hold up. Incidentally, it’s far too early to make an assessment here after ten days. We have it partly still to do with old purchase and procurement prices.” According to the FDP politician, the tank discount was “well received” by companies and people.
Cold progression should be abolished
When asked about a concrete proposal for relieving the burden on citizens in Germany, Djir-Saai suggested abolishing the so-called cold progression.
“I would say: We’re getting rid of the so-called cold progression. Especially now, in a phase in which we are talking very intensively about the problem of inflation, it cannot be that a salary increase is completely eaten up by inflation.” The abolition of cold progression could be an instrument to ensure that the salary increase “does not go into the state’s pocket, but stays with the people,” said the FDP politician.
The term “cold progression” denotes a situation in which real income falls when an after-tax increase in income is less than the rate of inflation. Djir-Sarai called this a counter-proposal to an increase in the top tax rate, which in turn had brought Habeck into play. Djir-Sarai rejected the Federal Minister of Economics’ proposal: “These are enormous burdens that would come to the middle of our country.”
FDP puts pressure on weapons for Ukraine
Bijan Djir-Sarai emphasized that Ukraine is urgently dependent on the delivery of heavy weapons from Germany and that there is no more time to lose. “We are in a difficult phase of the war. Ukraine is losing right now in the east of the country. This means that the promised and assured arms deliveries must now come quickly,” he said. “We don’t have time to wait until June, July or August. The aid, the things that have been promised must come now. Ukraine must now be able to win this war too.”