CDU politician Friedrich Merz said in an interview that he thinks tax increases are possible.
He also spoke on the subject of the CDU chairmanship.
Berlin - In the
Corona crisis
, the federal government
had to
take on
large
debts
for state aid such as
short-time work
benefits.
In an interview with Handelsblatt,
CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz
now
speaks
about possible tax increases.
Nobody can say in what state the
finances will be in 2022
, but a
tax
hike
is currently
ruled out.
"We are not allowed to
raise taxes
in Germany now
." The SPD had dared to make a corresponding attempt to
raise
income tax
for high earners.
Merz rejects this.
The regulation mainly affects small and medium-sized enterprises, which puts jobs at risk.
However, even the CDU politician, who is known to be business-friendly, can
generally imagine
tax increases
in the future.
In the current situation, it is also dubious to announce tax cuts or to
rule out
tax increases
entirely, ”
Merz
*
explained
in the interview.
Coronavirus will affect the household for a long time due to school admission
Merz
believes that
a
budget without
new borrowing
*, in short the “black zero”, is
possible.
“In the long term, a balanced budget must also be achievable,” he says.
However, the impact of the
pandemic
* will also be
recognizable
in the
budget
in the future
.
"
We will not get out of this crisis
as quickly as
we are
out of the
financial
crisis," emphasized
Merz
and added: "We are using the exception
rules of
the
debt brake
now and in the coming year
, we should comply with them again from 2022."
The
CDU *
politician
did not
answer
in the interview
whether
Merz
will run for a Bundestag mandate in 2021
.
He will only “decide after the federal party congress” about this.
There it is clear whether
Merz will be
elected party chairman or whether he will
lose to
North
Rhine-Westphalia's chief
Armin Laschet
or the
CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen
.
But
Merz
is confident in this context: "I'm playing for victory, not for space," he explains.
* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.
List of rubric lists: © Kay Nietfeld / dpa / picture alliance