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Olaf Scholz, Federal Finance Minister since 2017, Chancellor candidate for the 15 percent SPD since summer 2020. Cultivated Hanseatic habitus.

An offer to the middle class.

Also to the "economy"?

Before Olaf Scholz was gratefully elected SPD candidate for chancellor, he started selling himself as a crisis manager.

As the one with a "boom".

A funny word from the mouth of such a serious gentleman.

But what about his crisis management?

First of all, it is self-praise.

In his budget speech at the beginning of October 2020, Scholz stated that “it can be assumed that the economic level of the pre-crisis period will be reached at the beginning of the year after next.” And that would then be “a good success for the federal government's policy.” Pardon?

Is that megalomania or just presumption?

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If the German economy should reach pre-crisis levels again, it will be the fruit of the work of countless hands, but not the success of the cabinet.

Here we come across a not atypical feature in Olaf Scholz's speeches.

He likes to adorn himself with strange feathers.

In the following we will see that this is a common thread with him.

'Business solidly'?

Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that!

Also in his budget speech, Finance Minister Scholz said about the federal government's new debt, which he helped to create, which now amounts to more than 241 billion euros in 2020: That would be possible, “as it was part of our (!) Business in the past . “Let us consider in numbers what Dr.

Jekyll sold as "sound business": While he was always happy to go along as Mr. Hyde whenever voters were to be reconciled with the harsh reality, new social expenditure was devised.

Scholz had reason to cheer before the Corona crisis alone when it came to tax revenue.

Budget debate in the Bundestag - "We will grow out of the crisis"

Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz does not see the repayment of the current debts in the coronavirus pandemic as a danger.

“We will grow out of the crisis.” This could succeed again, as it did after the global financial crisis more than ten years ago.

Source: WORLD

Record tax revenues dominated the news situation.

More tax revenue is not bad per se.

But was something saved from the additional volume or was significantly more invested during this time?

Nothing.

Much was eaten for breakfast, the growing share of social spending in the household and the simultaneously increasing tax subsidies speak volumes.

The infrastructure is still bad, the bureaucracy is like a jungle, the state of digitization is a reason to shake your head, which leads you to look around for foreign locations.

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By 'sound business' I mean something else - namely to offer future generations a basis on which they can continue to build, invest, employ and live well in the future.

Our business location must also be competitive in international comparison.

But the Merkel coalitions with SPD participation have not worked out a financial buffer.

Nevertheless, finance minister and SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, with a view of the state aid, promises us exultantly this year: "We can hold out for a long time."

But Olaf Scholz only says soothing things to lull us into safety - in the calm before the storm.

Because he has long since promised his party that he wants to increase taxes - then probably with the state economic aid as a reason.

It is becoming increasingly clear these days that only the large corporations are really helped with tax money.

But new tax revenues are to be generated.

The "German Mittelstand" should pay

In his budget speech, Scholz said that the “reduction of the high national debt must take place through economic growth, as it did after the financial crisis”, but he still believes that “a fairer tax system is necessary”.

And then butter for the fish, as they say in the north: “If you earn a few 100,000 euros, for example, you should pay a little more,” says Scholz.

what does he mean with that?

And who?

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Not everyone who earns 100,000 euros a year is an entrepreneur.

Annual salaries of this magnitude are also not uncommon for civil servants.

There are also high-paid employees.

With an income above 57,919 euros per year, you are already one of the top earners in Germany who pay the top tax rate.

It is they (around four million taxpayers today) who, in addition to the entrepreneurs, pay a large part of the tax burden and social security contributions.

Almost every entrepreneur who also has employees has to generate that much money first.

These entrepreneurs would all be affected if Scholz tightened the tax screw - the "German Mittelstand" (highly praised and at best only neglected) anyway.

And as if that wasn't enough, a wealth tax is being considered as the icing on the cake.

But even these mind games are poison for our business location.

If companies have no hope that costs will fall in Germany, if they have to fear that the next tax increases will already be upon them - then we will see fewer and fewer investments in our business location.

Only those who have trust and confidence invest.

This is the case in private life and is even more true in business.

The second summand in the burden equalization formula does not lead to the hoped-for momentum out of the crisis with the SPD.

The calculation that we will offset the aid payments through economic growth with corresponding tax revenues after the crisis only works if there are smart investments and reforms to generate economic growth.

In short: If at some point Corona is no longer a permanent threat, it will not be enough to turn the clock back to February 2020.

No, the weaknesses of the German business location are exacerbated by the crisis.

A new start is needed that addresses the future issues of digitization, intergenerational equity, climate sensitivity, growth orientation and personal responsibility.

Can such a new start be made with Olaf Scholz?

Scholz slows down effective aid

Scholz loudly pulled out the bazooka to clear the escape route for companies out of the Corona imbalance.

However, it prevented the companies from being able to free themselves on their own.

It was and is Olaf Scholz, who for months has been ironically preventing the salary regulation in the inheritance tax law from being adapted to the short-time working regulation in order to save family businesses in the succession process.

That clearly belonged in the Annual Tax Act 2020.

And it is also Olaf Scholz who has been on the brakes for months when it comes to providing companies with urgently needed liquidity in times of corona by expanding tax loss offsetting.

What does the man want?

Become Chancellor, yes.

What else?

In his budget speech in September 2019, Scholz said: "Germany offers ultra-modern high-tech jobs" and "continues to be competitive on the world market".

Yes, that would be our future.

Here the finance minister adorns himself again with strange feathers, and in a bizarre way.

Because if the German location for high technology has a future at all, it is not because of, but in spite of the SPD.

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This is not a polemic.

Former Social Democrats knew it themselves: It costs a lot of money, mostly reinvested profits, to maintain technological leadership, also and especially in the global technology market niche.

In other words, exactly where German family entrepreneurs are currently still able to hold their own.

The fact is, however, that the SPD tax policy threatens to pull the rug out from under these companies.

Mr. Scholz adorns himself in his speeches with something that he himself damages.

This is cynical!

The Corona crisis has made it clear to us that the prosperity in our country is not God-given, that our economy is also vulnerable;

that tax revenue does not bubble up automatically - but actually has to be generated by employers and employees.

So what remains for the SPD in this super election year?

In spite of all the criticism in detail, wouldn't the question of how the SPD get out of its polling low would also be relevant - how it builds on old successes when it did not focus solely on redistribution policy?

When your policy didn't have to pacify the Jusos above all?

And what is left for us?

Our vote in the elections!

Our commitment!

Our participation and our personal responsibility to contribute this participation.

Count me in!

Source: Anne Großmann Photography

The author, a member of the management of the Röser Group and co-founder of the digital platform beamcoo, is the federal chairwoman of the Young Entrepreneurs Association and deputy chairwoman of the Ludwig Erhard Foundation