With a view to the budget crisis, CDU leader Merz has… Report from Berlin spoke out against easing the debt rule. Rather, savings must be made, for example with citizens’ money. SPD leader Esken contradicted.
CDU party and parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz has called on the traffic light coalition to forego the increase in citizens’ money planned for January 1st. That is still possible now. “The federal government can decide that; it still has four weeks to make exactly this decision now,” said Merz in the ARD-Broadcast Report from Berlin.
“It’s not yet in the legal gazette, it’s not yet in the ordinance gazette, the federal government can decide that.” Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) has this in his hands by issuing an ordinance.
Apart from fundamental criticism of the citizens’ benefit system, he saw the wage gap requirement as being violated. “People need to be employed,” said Merz. It should also be considered whether future Ukraine refugees should continue to receive citizen’s benefits immediately. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) brought a similar suggestion into the debate.
Merz sees his position as being in line with the traffic light party FDP. Its general secretary, Bijan Djir-Sarai, also spoke out against the increase in “Bild am Sonntag”. In view of the budget problems resulting from the Karlsruhe ruling, it is “no longer appropriate”. The welfare state costs too much money.
The more than five million citizens’ benefit recipients will receive an average of around 12 percent more money on January 1, 2024 – single people will then receive 563 euros instead of the previous 502 euros. In contrast to previous adjustments, the sharply increased inflation for months was taken into greater account in the calculation for 2024 due to a change in the rules.
Esken: “Strong shoulders participate”
SPD leader Saskia Esken rejected cuts in citizens’ money. “I can’t imagine us getting involved in this,” she also said Report from Berlin. “Because we don’t cut corners on the poorest people, but we now have to see how we can also get the stronger shoulders involved more.”
The traffic light coalition is currently looking intensively for ways out of the budget crisis. The pressure is high. If the 2024 federal budget is to be passed this year, the SPD, Greens and FDP must soon agree on the next course. The FDP wants to make social savings, while the SPD and the Greens are putting the debt brake for 2024 up for discussion. However, reforming the debt brake would also require the consent of the Union.
“No natural disaster, no emergency”
And despite individual voices from the Union, it doesn’t look like that. In the Report from Berlin CDU leader Merz was convinced that the federal government can finance the 2024 budget without suspending the debt brake again. “There is neither a natural disaster so great that we have to do this now, nor is there an extraordinary emergency that would require this,” he said in the ARD.
Even if the debt brake is adhered to, new debt of around 22 billion euros is possible for 2024. “The federal government would have to make do with that,” said Merz, emphasizing with regard to the state’s spending: “We need discipline here.” Here he agrees with Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
SPD leader Esken, however, spoke out in favor of easing the debt brake. “That’s what we’re trying to convince our colleagues of,” she said, referring to the budget discussions in the traffic light coalition with the Greens and FDP. “If we have to invest from the current budget, then at some point we will be brought to our knees,” said Esken. “And that’s why we say very clearly that the debt brake must be reformed. It is a brake for the future and it must enable investments.”