Philipp Türmer was re-elected as chairman at the Jusos federal congress in Mannheim. The 29-year-old received 66.7 percent of the votes without an opponent. He continues to criticize social inequalities and taxes on heirs.
At the Jusos federal congress in Mannheim, Philipp Türmer, who has led the SPD youth organization for two years, was confirmed in office with 66.7 percent of the votes. There was no opposing candidate. The 29-year-old has repeatedly highlighted the low taxes paid by million heirs during his tenure and recently joined an SPD member initiative against planned tightenings of Bürgergeld benefits.
In his speech to the delegates, Türmer criticized the justification of privileges and wealth in society, earning sustained applause. “They talk of achievers and mean people who got rich through the work of others,” he said. In his view, societal conflicts run between those who must live from their labor and those who “drew the big ticket in the inheritance lottery.”
Türmer stressed that it is the SPD's task to refocus the debate on these issues. Small changes to the welfare state are not enough. Instead, the principle that every person is equally valuable must apply. The SPD would make itself superfluous if it did not make this part of its program.
All SPD members up to age 35 are automatically Jusos. The federal association often represents left-wing positions within the party's spectrum.