© Didier Weber / RTL
Ali Ruckert, president of the Luxembourg Communist Party (KPL), wants to challenge the current capitalist system, arguing for a 20% increase in minimum wage and criticising both the nation's tax system and real estate speculation in a recent interview on RTL Radio.
The KPL aims at winning one seat in the Chamber of Deputies as this is the only way to get enough visibility for ideas to be implemented, said KPL president Ali Ruckert in conversation with RTL.
When asked about the possibility of teaming up with The Left, who are ideologically not far off and currently have two seats, Ruckert replied that this is not as straightforward as it might sound. He elaborated that the KPL is determined to "overcome" the current capitalist system.
The party's election manifesto, which is to be approved by the end of the month, prioritises strengthening the purchasing power of working-class people and retirees.
In this context, Ruckert questioned recent figures published by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC), which indicate that thanks to the tripartite measures the "purchasing power of the most modest households increases while that of the most affluent households is slowed down".
Ruckert believes that a growing number of people are struggling to make ends meet, particularly due to the tax rates not being automatically adjusted to inflation, as well as a "manipulation" of the index mechanism. He said that it is incomprehensible how there can be this much poverty in a rich country like Luxembourg.
The KPL wants to raise the minimum wage by 20% and refuses the notion that this might jeopardise businesses. If this is true, then they should show us their numbers, noted Ruckert.
He further shared his belief that the majority of profits are being distributed to shareholders rather than working people and that capital gains are being less taxed than 20 years ago thanks to decisions of the past administrations.
As for housing, the KPL estimates that the government needs to construct 50,000 homes over the next decade. While not disapproving of people who can afford a second accommodation, Ruckert is critical of those who buy up real estate for speculative purposes.
