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Bundestag election 2021: Left relies on social policy in election manifesto

2021-06-25T05:20:15.404Z


Higher minimum wages, moving away from Hartz IV, rent cap: The Left has decided on its program for the federal election. The key points at a glance.


Enlarge image

Left-wing top candidate Dietmar Bartsch at the online party conference

Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / REUTERS

The list of demands with which the left wants to enter the Bundestag election campaign is clear: at an online party congress, the party passed its program with a clear majority.

362 delegates voted for, 30 voted against and 20 abstained.

The Left is now clearly focusing on social policy - and is calling, among other things, for higher pensions, the move away from Hartz IV and a property levy to cope with the corona crisis.

There was a need for discussion, particularly on the subject of foreign policy.

There, various positions had emerged in advance about how harsh the no to foreign deployments of the Bundeswehr should be.

Shortly before the start of the party congress, party leader Janine Wissler once again confirmed that she continues to reject UN peace missions.

The head of the left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Dietmar Bartsch, had called for a rethink on this point.

"We should debate humanitarian UN Green Helmet missions," he told the Rheinische Post and the Bonn General-Anzeiger on Saturday.

"As the only peace party sitting in the Bundestag, you do not question us, but give peace a new face."

The idea that classic UN blue helmet missions could be supplemented by UN green helmet missions has been around for a long time.

With a mandate from the Security Council, they could also provide military protection for the population after natural disasters or support them in the implementation of measures against climate change, my proponents of the idea.

The background to this is the increase in violent, climate-related conflicts.

However, the UN Green Helmet missions are not mentioned in the election program that has now been adopted.

The most important points from the left election program at a glance:

Taxes

  • The Left is campaigning

    for a wealth tax

    with a progressive tariff and an allowance for private assets of one million euros.

    A rate of one percent is proposed as the initial tax rate.

    The maximum rate of five percent should apply from 50 million euros.

  • To cope with the corona crisis, the Left is proposing a

    property

    levy

    that should be levied on net assets over two million euros.

    The levy is to be staggered progressively from ten to 30 percent and paid off in installments for 20 years.

  • In terms of

    income tax,

    Die Linke is aiming for a tax rate of 53 percent from 70,000 euros.

    With an income of almost 261,000 euros, a wealthy tax of 60 percent should be levied, and above a million euros it should be 75 percent.

    The left no longer wants to favor investment income.

  • In addition, the party advocates the

    abolition of the sparkling wine tax

    .

    With the tax introduced in 1902, the imperial fleet of the German Reich was financed, it was said to justify.

pension

  • The

    left wants to raise the

    statutory pension level

    back to 53 percent and introduce a solidarity minimum pension of 1200 euros.

  • Instead of retiring from 67

    , employees should be able to retire at the latest at 65 without any deductions.

    Members of the parliament, self-employed persons and civil servants should also pay into a »solidarity employment insurance«.

Turning away from Hartz IV

  • The comrades propose a

    guaranteed minimum income

    of 1200 euros and a sanction-free minimum

    income

    instead of Hartz IV.

  • In addition, she wants to introduce an

    "unemployment benefit plus"

    , which amounts to 58 percent of the net wage.

    She also calls for basic child security.

Rent

  • The party is promoting a

    rent cap

    throughout Germany.

    By means of a new "non-profit" housing scheme, the Left wants to permanently tie subsidies and tax breaks to upper rent limits.

  • To

    social housing

    should be promoted with 15 billion euros annually.

labour market

  • According to the election manifesto, the low-wage sector is to be abolished and the

    minimum wage to be

    increased

    to 13 euros

    .

  • Collective agreements

    should become generally

    binding

    at the request of a collective bargaining party.

  • Temporary work and fixed-term fixed-term contracts

    are to be abolished.

    In addition, Die Linke suggests a four-day week of around 30 hours with wage compensation as a normal employment relationship.

Foreign policy

  • The left demands the

    end of all foreign missions of

    the Bundeswehr.

  • NATO wants to

    replace

    it with a

    collective security system

    with the participation of Russia.

  • In addition, the party advocates the

    end of all arms exports

    .

Climate change

  • In the election manifesto, Die Linke calls for an

    energy turnaround

    with 100 percent renewable energies and 75 percent heat from renewable energies by 2035.

  • It

    aims to

    phase out coal

    by 2030 at the latest.

  • Germany should

    be climate neutral by 2035 at the latest

    .

    By 2030, emissions should have been reduced by at least 70 percent compared to 1990.

Wissler and Bartsch are the top candidates of their party for the federal election in September.

According to recent surveys, the left currently ends up at between six and seven percent.

asc / dpa / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-06-25

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