Crisis of social democracy: “SPD should actually be happy to enforce the law. That means secure borders” | EUROtoday

SPD politician Thomas Jung, 61, has been mayor of Fürth (Bavaria) since 2002. Previously, he was a member of the Bavarian state parliament for a few years.

WELT: Mr. Jung, you’re the longest-serving mayor of a significant German metropolis. What is the scenario in Fürth?

Thomas Jung: So we’re comparatively blissful in the meanwhile. We had a really troublesome time 15 years in the past. The largest employer, Quelle, went bankrupt, adopted 5 years earlier by Grundig. But that was digested effectively. At Quelle time we had 38,000 jobs within the metropolis. Now there are 51,000 with no supply. We have plenty of medium-sized companies, household companies are DAX-free except for Siemens, and that is truly no hurt.

WELT: How did you do this with the roles? These are business jobs, not public service.

Jung: Even earlier than the Quelle chapter, we have been fortunate sufficient to have acquired giant areas of land from the Americans. You moved from Fürth 30 years in the past. And this withdrawal gave us 280 hectares of land. We used the vast majority of it, nearly 200 hectares, commercially and we have been ready and may progressively settle it. There are possibly six hectares left now. They will proceed to be populated till 2030.

WELT: Didn’t you have got any debates that usually happen elsewhere? So {that a} residents’ initiative or a inexperienced group comes and says that forest ought to…

Jung: … so we used ten hectares for a park. Ten hectares, that was okay. Ten out of 280, that was the consensus, a park was made out of it. Otherwise, no, it was truly silent.

WELT: Municipalities throughout Germany are complaining about monetary difficulties. On the opposite hand, I learn in your web site that you’re even capable of scale back debt.

Jung: Yes, that is proper, we have truly been lowering debt yearly since 2010. This is now the sixteenth 12 months and it is going to be 5 million euros. In the great years we have been capable of construct up round 150 million euros in reserves on the similar time. But, and an enormous however: For the primary time this 12 months, we’re additionally dwelling on reserves. So for us too, it has now reached the purpose the place present revenue now not funds present bills. We now needed to withdraw the primary nearly 20 million euros from reserves.

Sure, 150 million feels like loads, but when it’s a must to withdraw 20 million yearly, then that is finite. So we as the town of Fürth additionally want reduction. And what’s in fact very noticeable are the social prices. Particularly within the space of ​​youth welfare, but additionally in primary safety for seniors, in lease subsidies within the job heart, in help with care.

WELT: You are a social democrat. Your celebration is at present engaged on a brand new primary program. This is extra more likely to enhance social prices even additional.

Jung: So, for my part, it isn’t forward-looking for the SPD if it desires to return to its previous energy, if it defines itself as a celebration of the welfare state. You should outline your self as a celebration of labor and the working inhabitants. If work goes effectively and the financial system goes effectively, then logically you are able to do extra socially than if the financial system goes badly. And everybody is aware of that. This just isn’t an article of religion, it’s merely a reality. And it was a Müntefering (SPD politician and former labor minister Franz Müntefering, editor)who pushed via the retirement age to be elevated. And I would really like Müntefering to be an instance.

I’m working for workplace once more now. I’m keen to work till I’m 70. Because it is health-related, that is in fact the prerequisite. But a minimum of – the reform proposals for the welfare state with the mix of housing profit and little one profit are a step in the proper path.

WELT: To obtain this, the SPD would additionally like to gather social safety contributions on rental revenue or on capital good points.

Jung: So that’s in fact troublesome. I perceive that it’s perceived as unfair when capital revenue typically will get higher tax remedy than work. This can also be a problem for the Social Democrats. But by merely persevering with to extend the cash that flows into the social system, you’ll not remedy the issues. It is a approach out if you wish to keep away from structural reforms. I feel structural reforms are extra right and vital.

So one path that has already been taken with residents’ cash is that sanctions are being imposed right here. It would additionally should be thought-about retroactively for the Ukrainians. It is hanging what number of Ukrainian individuals work in Poland and the way few there are in Poland. In Fürth additionally it is effectively under 20 %. But what is essential to me is the pension subject. As individuals become old and older, it’s fallacious to allow them to retire earlier and earlier. And the mom’s pension enforced by the CSU can also be fallacious. So the SPD just isn’t alone.

WELT: Do you have got the impression that the events, together with the CSU and SPD, are focusing an excessive amount of on older voters?

Jung: Yes. I say to them: People, keep in mind that the older individuals additionally need their youngsters and grandchildren to do effectively. The older technology just isn’t a technology of egoists or silly individuals who don’t acknowledge that reforms are additionally unavoidable in the case of working life. I do not know anybody who disagrees with that. But when the pension presents are there, then tremendous match district managers at 63 go and purchase a caravan or a dachshund and go for walks with it, however they may simply as simply work right here for an additional three years. I additionally discover that in our city corridor. They would not even consider it if the legislature did not make it so profitable.

WELT: The SPD additionally has a fame for being chargeable for growing regulation and forms.

Jung: In my opinion, the forms subject is not only a problem for one celebration. It is extra the case that forms breeds extra forms as there are increasingly more positions within the Union ministries too. More and extra officers are merely creating extra guidelines as a result of they should do one thing. So they make guidelines. And that’s actually devastating. This goes from Brussels right down to Berlin, and Munich is not sparing with guidelines both. But you’ll be able to belief the municipalities extra.

If we construct a kindergarten right here, then I will not construct a rooster coop if I need to be re-elected. So why this mistrust on the higher stage? We as a municipality, similar to each personal developer, are suffocating beneath the burden of value determinations. I consider that extra persons are busy making ready reviews on a constructing than truly engaged on the development website. I want to see radicalism. And it begins in Brussels and ends in Munich.

WELT: Do you have got any thought how one can minimize this again?

Jung: In Bavaria, for instance, one thing revolutionary has now been achieved in constructing regulation. Or the constructing minister’s development turbo on the federal stage, these are actually substantial adjustments. In tiny areas you discover that it really works. Or immediately, how the fuel tanks have been wanted on the coast, from Habeck. Suddenly constructing rights have been obtained on the North Sea that have been beforehand unthinkable. Where there’s a will, there’s a approach.

WELT: There are plenty of elections this 12 months – the Bavarian native elections, the place you’re standing once more, and within the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg the state parliament is being re-elected. The SPD is within the single digits within the surveys, at round eight %. What do you assume is the explanation for this?

Jung: So I feel the primary mistake – each in the case of residents’ cash, welfare state reform and migration – is that the SPD does issues reluctantly. You ought to truly be blissful to implement the regulation. And which means safe borders. I nonetheless have the standard SPD voter in my metropolis. In the final native elections we had 42 % for the SPD, 19 % for the CSU, 20 for the Greens. You can see the magnitude. Since 2008, I’ve at all times had over 70 % within the first spherical of voting towards seven opponents.

They need an SPD that’s for a powerful state, and a powerful state should additionally implement safety, regulation and order and likewise order in the case of migration and social advantages. And should you do this, then the SPD should additionally welcome it fortunately.

Christoph Lemmer As a freelancer, he reviews totally on politics and court docket circumstances in Bavaria for WELT.