Politics taz
CSU wants to pay less money: “extremism clause” in the state financial equalization
With the “extremism clause”, the CSU wants to pay less to the countries in which the AfD and the Left will govern in the future. Now the Secretary General is also defending the idea. more...
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afp CSU General Secretary Martin Huber defended the idea of an “extremism clause” in the state financial equalization against criticism. "The state financial equalization is generally unfair. It needs to be reformed anyway," said Huber on Friday in the ARD "Morgenmagazin". Furthermore, it would be “absurd” to use the money from the mechanism to support state governments that “clearly violate our constitution.”
Huber referred to the two states of Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin, where governments led by the AfD and the Left could form in the future. The Left in Berlin, for example, is planning “expropriations,” he said. “It cannot be explained to anyone why such things should ultimately be paid for by the Bavarian taxpayer.”
In Berlin, the Left wants to form a red-green-red government with the Greens and the SPD after the House of Representatives elections in September. The parties have now agreed on an exploratory paper as the basis for further discussions. Among other things, it provides for the socialization of the housing stocks of large real estate groups that have more than 10,000 apartments in Berlin. They should be compensated for this.
The idea of an “extremism clause” in the state financial equalization was brought up by Bavaria's Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder. According to him, Bavaria is in discussions with the other two donor states, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, about a corresponding regulation. The response to his initiative is divided.
Support came from Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU). The current chairman of the Prime Minister's Conference, Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Gordon Schnieder (CDU), rejected the proposal. He considers this to be a “wrong path”.
The state financial equalization is part of the complex financial relationships between the federal and state governments. It is intended to alleviate economic imbalances and thus ensure that people throughout the country have roughly equivalent living conditions. There are currently three states, Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, that pay in more money than they receive. The system has been controversial for a long time. Bavaria is sharply critical and took the matter to the Federal Constitutional Court.
The CSU will meet in Munich for a two-day party conference starting Friday afternoon. On Friday the focus will be on a speech by Söder, and on Saturday Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is expected.