Press
The traffic light coalition has presented a draft budget for 2025. The ministers seem satisfied with the result. The Union parties are already sensing the next dispute.
Berlin – The traffic light coalition has agreed on a federal budget for 2025. Nevertheless, CDU leader Friedrich Merz believes that an early end to the traffic light coalition is possible. “It may be that we have to come to Berlin at short notice,” the opposition leader told the Rheinische Post.
Merz continues to believe in end to traffic light coalition – “Truce for a few days”
Merz does not believe that the traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will last over the summer. In a speech, he attacked the federal government despite the successful federal budget. “All of this is enough for a truce between an exhausted coalition for a few days. Nothing more,” said Merz.
For him, the next dispute in the coalition is already certain and he even gives a specific date: “And when we return from the parliamentary summer break in September, the dispute in the coalition over the 2025 budget will only really begin.” Merz calls the agreement on the budget that has now been reached a “reassurance for those who have all been more or less mentally on vacation.”
Traffic light coalition agrees on budget for 2025 – and settles dispute over debt brake
At a press conference, Scholz named three key points of the budget agreement. The financial planning promises more money for the armed forcesso that the two percent target of the NATO can be fulfilled. The government also wants to provide more funds for “the security of cities and villages”. The second point relates to “social security”, which according to Scholz is “not an extra that can be dispensed with”. Billions are to be made available for affordable housing. The third point would be growth “within the framework of the debt brake” and investments in infrastructure, said the Chancellor.
The debt brake was long considered a central point of contention among the traffic light parties. Many feared that the insistence on the austerity measures of Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) would result in important investments in the welfare state being neglected. This issue should finally be resolved after the lengthy budget debate.
“This debate has been held. I would not reopen it. I believe this debate is over,” said Federal Minister of Economics and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck in the ARD-Tagesthemen. He suggests that the focus should now be on the draft budget.
“Spark for the next exploding dispute” – criticism of traffic light budget also from the CSU
Merz is by no means the only Union politician who has massively criticized the constant debates of the traffic light coalition. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt joined the CDU leader’s criticism. “It remains to be seen whether this budget fragment will survive or is just the spark for the next exploding dispute in the traffic light coalition,” said Dobrindt. “The foundation of this new budget is in any case extremely porous and shaky.”
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is also not holding back. He criticizes the fact that the federal states were not included in the budget debate. “The federal government has once again remained true to itself – first of all, do things and act without first speaking to those who are actually responsible for them, the states,” he said on the sidelines of the Bundesrat meeting.
Scholz celebrates traffic light coalition’s draft budget – “Both-and policy”
The traffic light coalition, on the other hand, seems to be little bothered by the comments from the Union parties. Scholz celebrates the draft budget for 2025 on X as a “both-and policy”. The agreement stands for “solid finances and economic growth. Support for Ukraine and stable pensions. A strong armed forces, good roads and punctual trains,” writes Scholz in an article.
Finance Minister Lindner also seems more than satisfied with the draft. “In 2025, we are planning a budget volume of 481 billion euros, of which 57 billion euros will be investments (including KTF even 100 billion euros),” writes the Finance Ministry he leads on X. The level of investments shows that this is not an “austerity budget”. “We are easing the burden on citizens and doing all this while complying with the debt brake,” it continues. (nhi)
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