Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has spoken out in favor of changes to the federal debt brake – but without fundamentally questioning them. In the event of a natural disaster, for example, it should be possible not to have to re-identify the emergency as a condition for taking on debt every year, he told the German Press Agency. We should move away from this annuality principle.
However, the federal and state governments should definitely stick with the debt brake. “A solution to the debt brake would be like going shopping while hungry. Then all the dams would be broken,” said the head of government.
The situation is different with the creation of a special fund as for the Bundeswehr. In exceptional cases, decisions on such strategic investments should be made with a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag. Kretschmer cited an investment package for infrastructure and education as examples. Investments would then be possible reliably over several years.
Kretschmer assessed the current situation pessimistically. Germany is currently experiencing an economic decline, which is accompanied by higher energy prices and an increase in the CO2 tax. “We are facing a situation in which we lack the strength for investments and fundamental reforms.”
On the other hand, social costs would constantly rise and put a burden on municipalities, said Kretschmer. “The municipalities’ budgets are falling apart because the federal government keeps raising standards and so social spending increases.” According to Kretschmer, social spending in the Bautzen district, for example, is currently higher than it was at a time of 25 percent unemployment with a significantly higher population in this region.
Since it concerns federal benefit laws, the federal government must also participate more in financing and lower standards. Kretschmer called, among other things, for a waiver of the increase in citizens’ money and for the federal government to contribute more to the costs of integration assistance and care assistance. The local family must be financially relieved.
Kretschmer believes that the Union’s lawsuit at the Federal Constitutional Court against the budget policy of the “traffic light” coalition is correct. The federal government had grossly exaggerated its reallocation of funds. “It was audacious to want to retroactively use such a sum for a different purpose. The reaction of the Federal Constitutional Court was logical.” Saxony’s Prime Minister thinks it would be good if limits were set on politics in this way.
