SPD leader Klingbeil outlines tax and reform plans for Germany

Lars Klingbeil, the leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), has presented a series of reform ideas. His proposals include changes to the tax system, such as adjustments to the 'Ehegattensplitting' (joint taxation for married couples) and potential tax cuts.

Several reports describe his plans as a "small agenda" and suggest the government is stuck in a reform backlog. Meanwhile, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has advised his party to pursue a "new agenda policy," and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has not ruled out a potential increase in value-added tax.