Family Business Association urges Bundestag to forgo summer break for reforms

The Association of Family Businesses is calling on the German Bundestag to cancel its summer recess to deliberate and pass crucial reforms. Marie-Christine Ostermann, president of the association, stated that it is imperative for planned reforms to be enacted promptly. She warned that if individual measures are dissected by various interest groups over the summer, there might be little to no relief for companies and their employees by autumn. Ostermann has written to members of the governing black-red coalition, urging that relevant committees continue working through the summer. The goal is for the Bundestag to pass the reform laws in their second and third readings by August. The association emphasizes the importance of timely legislation for corporate planning, as most companies finalize their investment plans in the autumn and need to base these calculations on enacted laws. The current parliamentary summer break is scheduled from mid-July to early September. The coalition committee is expected to decide on fundamental reforms before the recess. Ostermann highlighted that companies' investment plans are typically made in the fall, requiring finalized laws for calculations. The Association of Family Businesses represents approximately 6,500 of Germany's 180,000 family-owned enterprises. The association faced criticism in the past when Ostermann invited AfD representatives to a parliamentary event, leading to changes in its stance on the party after significant backlash and some company withdrawals.

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It must not happen that over the long summer every single measure is picked apart by various interest groups, and in the end, there are little or no reliefs for companies and their employees.