In the tug-of-war within the coalition over the federal budget for 2024, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann continues to rule out tax increases and insists on limiting spending. The Bundeswehr has a “high priority,” said the FDP politician in the “Welt am Sonntag” against the background of the Ukraine war. But it is “in many ways sensible to return to solid finances as quickly as possible”. “Anyone who wants to declare the crisis permanent is refusing the urgent task of politicians to set priorities,” said Buschmann.
Buschmann again rejected tax increases. In recent years, people in Germany have been exposed to “enormous stress” due to the pandemic and high energy costs. “We must have an interest in citizens and companies being relieved in order to stimulate growth in the German economy again,” argued the Minister of Justice. “Every economist knows that tax increases have the opposite effect.”
Buschmann’s party colleague and Finance Minister Christian Lindner is currently struggling with his departmental colleagues to draw up the federal budget for 2024. The spending requests of the ministries exceed Lindner’s plans by around 70 billion euros. The Greens have brought tax increases into play for financing, which the FDP strictly rejects. The cornerstones of the budget for the coming year are to be decided in the cabinet on March 15th.
The debt brake in the Basic Law stipulates a strict credit limit for the federal government, which can only be suspended in emergencies – this was the case at times during the corona pandemic.
