Regardless of the austerity dictate and the farmers' protests, the government apparently wants to buy new helicopters for 200 million euros. The opposition is fuming.
Berlin – Despite widespread protests, the traffic light coalition wants to stick to its plan to eliminate agricultural diesel subsidies and increase the price of CO₂. This is justified by austerity measures. Nevertheless, the budget for 2024 apparently includes plans to purchase three new helicopters for the government. This is now causing an outcry.
Even if citizens should save, this probably doesn't apply to the government coalition. The draft budget for 2024 contains an expenditure of 200 million euros – for three new VIP helicopters. That's what she reports BILD newspaper. Accordingly, the Bundeswehr's “Cougar” helicopters, which gained dubious notoriety through former Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht's (SPD) vacation in Sylt, are to be exchanged for new models. It is not yet known which model should be purchased.
Does the traffic light need new helicopters? Even members of the government are amazed
In any case, the newspaper believes that the exchange could not have been particularly urgent. After all, the aircraft had not yet appeared in the December budget draft. The Federal Police also has enough “Super Puma” helicopters, which are also suitable for transporting Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his ministers.
Nevertheless, the traffic light coalition included the purchase of the helicopters, which cost 200 million euros, in individual plan 60. According to the document, this IPPEN.MEDIA available, it summarizes “the income and expenditure that cannot be assigned to a single department or that affect the federal government as a whole”. However, even the members of the government coalition responsible for the budget were surprised by the plan, they said PICTURE. After all, it was never discussed in the budget committee.
Parliament will have to decide – CDU sees “traffic light meltdown in budget policy”
However, it is not yet clear that the edition will actually be possible. On January 18th, the Budget Committee will hold a resolution meeting to decide whether to purchase the helicopters. So Parliament can still intervene.
The opposition is still furious about the matter. CDU budget expert Ingo Gädechens complained to the newspaper that the government coalition had apparently “completely lost touch with reality.” According to his calculations, the traffic light will have additional income of 176 million euros this year – through the abolition of agricultural diesel subsidies. That is almost the amount for the purchase of new aircraft. It shows that the country is suffering from a “traffic light meltdown in budget policy” if the federal government plans such a comfort expenditure, even though savings have to be made everywhere else.
Agricultural diesel cancellation remains: Farmers want to “possibly paralyze the country”
Despite the threat of protests, the federal government refused last week to withdraw the abolition of the tax concession for agricultural diesel. However, the relief rate should now be reduced gradually in order to relieve the burden on farmers. A reduction of 40 percent will come into effect in 2024, and a further 30 percent will be cut in each of the following two years. From 2026 there will no longer be any diesel subsidies for farmers. The vehicle tax exemption for agriculture remains untouched for the time being. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) was satisfied with the compromise, as was Robert Habeck (Greens), who is convinced that the solution “helps farmers”.
The farmers' association was not very enthusiastic and announced that it wanted to stick to the planned week of protests – since Monday (January 8th), there have been daily demonstrations in the form of rallies and blockades with tractors. For farmers’ president Joachim Rukwied it remains clear: “Both proposals for cuts must be taken off the table.” Ultimately, it is “also about the future viability of our industry and the question of whether domestic food production is still desired.” Günther Felßner, President of the Bavarian Farmers' Association, was even clearer. Compared to the Bavarian Radio He said there were “lots of ideas about how to possibly paralyze the country” for a “January like the country has never experienced before”. (tpn)
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