BFederal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (FDP) has clearly rejected calls for tax increases to finance the additional expenditure caused by the war. “Neither is a higher tax burden necessary, nor would it make economic sense,” wrote Lindner in a guest article for the “Rheinische Post”.
Many are now demanding higher taxes. For example, the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), is demanding that the solidarity surcharge be reintroduced in full. “This proposal would hit the working middle of society fully – in an environment where the cost of living is already rising,” wrote Lindner.
The tax cuts that had just been decided by the traffic light would then be collected again. One might assume that the result would be rising wage demands and thus new inflationary signals.
At the instigation of the FDP, the traffic light coalition decided as a guideline that “after the crisis we will return to the debt brake and refrain from raising taxes. As finance minister, I feel bound by it,” wrote Lindner.
He is therefore financing the enormous additional tasks of the state with more debt. “I don’t do it lightly and I don’t like it, but the situation requires it.”
On Friday evening, Lindner announced that in response to the Ukraine war, arms aid for partner countries would be increased to two billion euros this year. “The funds will largely benefit Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter. “The Federal Chancellor had requested this at an early stage.” The sum is to be made available via the supplementary budget.