FRANKFURT - Germany's Social Democrats , led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, presented on Sunday an agenda for tax breaks and investment support in a bid to preserve jobs in industry and appeal to voters in general elections due in September 2025.
The paper laid out proposals to change course against a damaging recession, as Germany struggles with rising unemployment, high energy costs and competition from China and the United States in export markets. It also says minimum wages should be gradually raised to 15 euros from 12.41 euros. There were no financial details of how these plans would be funded.All parties are preparing for the elections scheduled for September 2025, though the vote could be held earlier if the coalition were to break up in coming months over a raft of problems.
The party reiterated calls for a revision of a debt brake to roll back decades of underinvestment in crucial infrastructure and proposes helping manufacturers save on electricity grid fees as part of a package of more competitive industry power prices.The SPD board is due to approve the strategy at a meeting on Sunday afternoon.