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Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
As is well known, billing is done at the end.
But it is already clear: The corona crisis is leaving a huge hole in the state treasury.
The federal government is raising billions of dollars to keep the economy from collapsing.
And of course the healthcare system suffers.
The central question in the end will be: Who will pay for the costs of the crisis?
Prime ministers of several SPD-governed countries had recently brought an option into play that is now causing a stir: a solidarity surcharge for tax-financed stabilization of the cash contributions.
The idea can be found in the draft resolution that the federal states, under the leadership of SPD-ruled Berlin, prepared for the top-level meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.
In it, they call on the federal government to examine ways "so that the additional costs caused by the corona pandemic in the health care system do not have to be cushioned unilaterally by the legally insured."
However, the countries have not yet agreed on this.
Heavy criticism
In any case, there is strong criticism of the proposal from the Union.
CSU party leader Markus Söder spoke of an absurd idea.
»This tax hike is burdening citizens and business alike.
That cannot be done with the Union, "said the Bavarian Prime Minister of the" Passauer Neue Presse "and the" Donaukurier ".
CSU General Secretary Markus Blume made a similar statement in the »Handelsblatt«.
There will be no tax increases with the Union.
"We'd rather have to lower taxes to stimulate the economy."
Previously, representatives of the sister party had also rejected the SPD initiative.
"We firmly reject such a solidarity surcharge," said Union parliamentary group vice-president Andreas Jung (CDU) of "Welt".
Such a surcharge to stabilize contributions for statutory health insurance in the corona pandemic is not necessary.
Jung pointed out that the statutory coffers would be strengthened in 2021 by a further tax subsidy of five billion euros.
"Greatest nonsense"
Economists also reject the proposal.
"I would be very careful with additional taxes and levies: It would damage the economy if the state began to save after the crisis now," said Lars Feld, head of the economic wise, the Handelsblatt.
A tax hike in the middle of the crisis was "the greatest nonsense," said Michael Hüther, director of the Institute for German Economics.
The SPD-led Federal Ministry of Finance did not want to position itself in the debate.
It is clear that the solos at the turn of the year will be canceled for more than 90 percent of taxpayers, said a spokesman.
He did not want to comment on the possible results of the federal-state consultations on Wednesday.
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kev / AFP / dpa
