The Green Party’s chancellor candidate Robert Habeck has expressed support for a billionaire tax, saying it could raise several billion in revenues that could help fund public education.
“If you were to tax a small portion of their wealth, you would have around €5 [billion or $5.25 billion] to €6 billion,” Habeck, who is also Germany’s economy minister, told the Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
He advocated using the revenue to refurbish schools and invest in school facilities and staff.
There are 249 billionaires in Germany, according to research from Manager Magazin.
But under German law, taxes cannot be earmarked for specific purposes and in any case, education policy is the responsibility of the federal states, with school construction the job of municipalities – not the federal government.
Habeck also said the federal government should subsidize driver training courses for apprentices “with, let’s say, €1,000, if the training company adds another €500.” Such support was recently demanded by the trade sector and the demand has already been made by various parties.
The Green Party politician repeated his plan for the state to pre-finance the expansion of the power grid rather having it be funded by consumers through their electricity bills. He also proposed increasing the amount workers can deduct from their taxes to compensate them for job-related costs like commuting or further training. He suggested raising it to €1,500 from the current €1,230.
German voters are expected to elect a new parliament or Bundestag on February 23. Habeck does not see himself as likely to become chancellor, saying his ideas were “indeed formulated somewhat from the underdog position.”
