The appeal of trade unions and organization emphasized that the reform of a budget anchor is necessary to enable urgently needed investments in the neutral economy for the climate, infrastructure and social security.
On Tuesday (04/03/2025) also German bank Federal – Bundesbank – presented his recommendation in this matter. Bundesbank recommends Increasing the debt limit at federal level with 0.35 percent present up to 1.4 percent gross domestic product. Share at 0.5 percent should not be subject to any restrictions, while another 0.9 percent is to be reserved for additional investments. The condition, however, is that Germany's debt ratio is below 60 percent. Currently it amounts to 63.2 percent.
Thanks to the investment subsidies of the federal government, trade union and municipalities would also benefit from lended additional funds. According to the Bundesbank calculations, the debt limit in the event of an debt indicator above 60 percent. would increase by 2030 in total by around EUR 100 billion, and in the case of a indicator below 60 percent. – up to EUR 220 billion. “Our proposal of a budget anchor reform protects healthy public finances, and at the same time facilitates urgently necessary investments” – explained the president of the Bundesbank Joachim Nagel.
Change of financial policy course
In the appeal of industry organizations, almost 30 signed organizations calls Christian Democrats and Social Democrats to make a budget anchor “central element of the coalition agreement”. “Include a change in the financial policy course for the federal government and trade union countries to launch a real investment offensivewhich is modernized our country and will prepare it for the future “-the initiators demand. Among the signatories there are, among others, the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB), Climate Alliance (Klima-Allianz Deutschland), the German Aid Association Brot Für Die Welt and the parity association (Paritätische Gesamtverband).
– We all use the functioning railways, renovated schools and cities and municipalities and municipalities – said Stefanie Langkamp from the climate alliance.
– Creating new special funds is not enough – added Joachim Rock, managing director of the parity union.
“Creating special funds is only a temporary celebration of a budgetary anchor,” said co -chairman of the Green parliamentary club in the Bundestag, Katharina Dröge, in Radio Deutschlandfunk. A better solution would be its reform immediately, “so that investments in security and our economic situation could be permanently financed with loans” – the politician pointed out.
“Step in the right direction”
Christian Görke, secretary of the Lewica parliamentary club, z He accepted the Bundesbank proposal. This is “a step in the right direction because it means a much larger field of financial maneuver for urgently needed investments in the country.” He added, however, that the 60 percent clause is unnecessary. In relation to special funds discussed by CDU/CSU and SPD, Görke called SPD and Green to “decisive rejection of the financial tricks of Christian chamber and demanding reform of the budget anchor.”
Organization of Environmental Protection Greenpeace criticized factthat until now only special funds for the Bundeswehr and infrastructure have been talked about. “The future climate protection task has been omitted so far,” Greenpeace said in Tuesday's statement. There is a “huge gap”, for example in the development of public transport “and switching to CLIMATE FRIENDLY CLIMATE” – warned the Greenpeace expert for climate Sarah Zitterbarth.
Breaking election promises
In turn, FDP politician Christoph Meyer stated that at best he would be ready to agree to the “pure special fund” for the supply and modernization of the Bundeswehr. Otherwise the armed forces would have to be financed with budget basic. With regard to the expected additional loans, he warned that “CDU and CSU are currently breaking their election promises at a record pace.”
On Tuesday, Christian Democrats and Social Democrats continued their survey talks, and further negotiations were scheduled for Wednesday, March 5. New or extended special funds for defense and infrastructure are discussed.
(AFP/JAR)
The article comes from the website Deutsche Welle