"Debt brake too tight and too rigid"
Britta Haßelmann considers the debt brake to be "too narrow and too rigid". The Green parliamentary group leader is in favor of reforming the instrument. She rejects the call for new elections.
Britta Haßelmann, co-chairwoman of the Greens' parliamentary group in the Bundestag, has spoken out in favor of relaxing the debt brake enshrined in the German constitution. "We have a debt brake that is too tight and too rigid, blocking the way for future investments," said Haßelmann on ntv's "Frühstart". "Not only Alliance 90/The Greens see it that way."
In contrast to CDU party chairman Friedrich Merz, a number of CDU state premiers now also believe "that we need to invest in the future, secure jobs and support the economy in the necessary transformation," said the Green politician.
Haßelmann has nothing against tax increases in principle. "But we have made clear agreements in the coalition agreement on how we want to shape the four years of the coalition government," she said. "That is why we are now concentrating on the debt brake, the necessary reform of a debt brake and the budget consultations for the 2024 budget."
Haßelmann rejected Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder's proposal to hold new elections as quickly as possible. "I don't believe in this idea at all, we are a government that has been elected for four years," said the Green politician. "And in a time of crisis like ours, we shouldn't speculate recklessly on such issues for party tactical reasons, but instead work on solutions that will move this country forward. We have a hell of a lot to do in terms of transforming the economy and industry."
The Green parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann, discussing on ntv's "Frühstart," advocates for loosening the rigid debt brake in the German constitution, a stance shared by Alliance 90/The Greens. Despite this, Haßelmann opposes calls for new elections and instead focuses on the necessary reform of the debt brake and budget consultations for the 2024 budget. In her coalition agreement, she supports tax increases, but not at the expense of the four-year budget plan, and criticizes Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder's proposal for early elections as reckless and unproductive in the current crisis.
Source: www.ntv.de
