SPD City Councilor Bohnert: Finally transparency at city events!

SPD City Councilor Bohnert: Finally transparency at city events!

No stone is left unturned in the political discussions in Baden-Baden: On September 21, 2025, SPD city councilor Sven Bohnert publicly spoke out against AfD politician Alexander Arpaschi in a recent statement. Bohnert criticized the “questionable estimates of costs and sales” in connection with an event held by the city’s subsidiary Events GmbH, to which former Economics Minister Robert Habeck was also invited as a guest. In an impassioned appeal, he called for more transparency and evidence regarding the financial planning of this event, which further heated up the exciting political climate ahead of the upcoming election.

The issue of taxes and social security contributions is particularly explosive in this context. Robert Habeck, who is entering the political ring as the Green candidate for chancellor, suggests using income from capital gains to finance statutory health insurance companies. They are currently exempt from social security contributions, which means an unequal burden on employees. He calls for capital gains to be subject to social security contributions in the future in order to strengthen solidarity in the system. This is not well received everywhere in the political debate: CSU boss Markus Söder and FDP politicians accuse Habeck of wanting to “plunder” investors, while the investor protection community warns that the middle class in particular could suffer from this proposal.

Tax revenue and political perspectives

A comprehensive discussion about financial policy is urgently needed. Germany is facing only low economic growth this year - gross domestic product (GDP) has made little progress since 2019. For 2023, the federal government expects tax revenues of around 918 billion euros, with a forecast of over one trillion in the coming years. The main sources of this revenue are VAT, wage and income taxes and corporate taxes. But increasing spending, especially in the area of ​​social security, is taking its toll - the tax rate, which describes the share of tax revenue in GDP, is currently around 23 percent.

The political parties are divided over their tax policy plans. The CDU/CSU would like to reduce taxes, while the SPD favors progressive taxation and the Greens want higher taxes on inheritances and assets. The debate is particularly explosive because tax plans affect income tax for millions of people and could also result in a redistribution of the burden in society. The question of how the state wants to finance its government spending remains a central issue that will continue to be discussed in the run-up to the federal election on February 23, 2026.

Given the ongoing challenges in financial policy and the upcoming election, the discussion about transparency, justice and financial solidarity is high on the political agenda. Citizens can be curious to see how the parties will position themselves and what impact this will have on their daily lives.