Politics · Germany · 4 hrs ago
CDU leader says planned plastic tax cannot be approved in its current form
CDU parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei opposed the proposed plastic tax in its current form, saying its costs and benefits do not balance.
The tax is part of a government plan in Germany, where the coalition of the CDU, CSU and SPD has only a 12-seat majority in the Bundestag.
At least 24 CDU and CSU lawmakers have said they will not support it, leaving the coalition without enough votes to pass it on its own.
The government had planned to consider the plastic tax alongside a sugar tax, which the cabinet approved.
The plastic tax is now expected to be put on hold while the coalition faces a similar challenge over the sugar tax.
Failure to win support for the sugar tax could create a budget shortfall, and the SPD has warned that this could put the government’s budget and coalition at risk.
CDU parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei said the planned plastic tax cannot be approved in its current form.
He said there are significant and justified reservations about the proposal.
Frei argued that the balance between costs and benefits does not work for either public services or private businesses.
Bild reported that at least 24 Union lawmakers had said in writing they would not support the tax.
The tax was expected to go to the cabinet alongside the sugar tax, which the cabinet approved that day.
- Who
- Thorsten Frei, leader of the CDU parliamentary group.
- What
- He said the planned plastic tax cannot be approved in its current form.
- When
- The evening of 14 October 2026.
- Where
- Berlin; Frei made the remarks on WELT TV.
- Why
- He said the balance between costs and benefits for public services and private businesses does not work.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The cabinet approved the sugar tax, while the planned plastic tax was expected to be considered alongside it.
Frei said on WELT TV that the plastic tax was not approvable in its current form.
- CDU parliamentary group leader
- Thorsten Frei
- Written opposition
- At least 24 Union lawmakers
- Union majority in the Bundestag
- CDU and CSU had a majority of 12 seats with the SPD, according to Bild
- Cabinet decision
- The sugar tax was approved on 14 October 2026
What people are saying
That is certainly not approvable in this form.
And this balance does not work at present. That has to be said.