Domestic
Updated November 29, 2023, 8:53 pm
Christian Lindner warned against deficit financing by lifting the debt brake again, as coalition partners SPD and Greens demand. The image shows the Federal Minister of Finance making a statement to the press following the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision on the supplementary budget for 2021. © dpa/Kay Nietfeld
According to Christian Lindner (FDP), the budget for 2024 currently has a deficit of 17 billion euros. This hole must be filled with savings. New debt is not an option for the Federal Minister of Finance.
Following the budget decision of the Federal Constitutional Court, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) sees a current gap of 17 billion euros in budget planning for next year. Lindner mentioned this number in an interview with ZDF on Wednesday evening. He suggested closing the gap through savings – for example in the social sector, spending on international support and reducing subsidies. There is currently no budget crisis in Germany, but rather a “decision-making crisis”, said the minister.
Lindner calls for “more precise” treatment of money
Lindner warned against deficit financing by lifting the debt brake again, as coalition partners SPD and Greens demand. “Politicians should not back down from courageous, sometimes challenging decisions and say: we are taking on new debt.” On the contrary, according to the Karlsruhe decision, the state must “manage the money we have more precisely”.
Read also: Traffic light discusses budget: there are four problems
Lindner sees potential for savings in the social budget, for example. The State must “guarantee that people who can work really work”, said the FDP leader. “This has nothing to do with social cuts, but on the contrary, it improves life opportunities.”
Lindner also called for Germany’s “international commitment” to be put to the test. Germany is the third largest economy in the world and presents itself as “number one when it comes to international responsibility”. The federal government must check: “Does this still fit?”
Karlsruhe verdict was “embarrassing moment”
Lindner admitted that the Karlsruhe verdict was “an unpleasant and embarrassing moment” for the federal government. The government now has to confess its budget planning. “It is also a matter of honor that we are now creating legal certainty,” he said.
The consequences of the verdict were also the focus of discussions in which the coalition leaders met in the Berlin Chancellery that evening. However, no concrete decisions are expected at the coalition committee meeting, it was said in coalition circles. (afp/jst)
“This is how the editorial team works” tells when and what we report, how we handle errors, and where our content comes from. When we report, we adhere to the Journalism Trust Initiative guidelines.