FDP proposes flat-rate budget cuts
The traffic light coalition continues to wrangle over the 2025 federal budget. Closing the existing billion-euro gap is the bone of contention. The FDP now proposes a uniform solution: cut 1.5 percent of funds across all areas.
In the wrangling over the 2025 federal budget, the FDP parliamentary group is proposing a blanket cut of 1.5 percent across all departments. "The blanket cut of 1.5 percent across departments is a possible solution that can be discussed," said deputy faction leader Christoph Meyer to the "Bild" newspaper. There are various options to close the financial need. The goal is "a constitutionally compliant budget, as the Basic Law must be adhered to."
The president of the Federal Association of Taxpayers, Reiner Holznagel, called on the federal government to make corresponding savings. He pointed out that the gap of three to five billion euros is only around one percent of the total budget of 481 billion euros. "Many people have to save much more due to inflation, and they manage to do so without disputes."
The traffic light coalition has been wrangling over the budget for weeks. Recently, representatives of the SPD and the Greens had expressed optimism. "I assume that the federal government will clarify the remaining questions on the budget draft this week and then submit its joint draft to parliament," said SPD deputy faction leader Achim Post to the "Rheinische Post".
The Greens put the blame on Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The FDP leader had "unilaterally rejected an agreement on the budget without feedback within the coalition," said the Greens' deputy faction leader Andreas Audretsch. It is all the more urgent that he finally makes "serious proposals to solve" the remaining budget issues.
FDP general secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai warned against rushing the budget. "All these things must of course be very carefully checked," he said in Berlin. It is important to act "cautiously and above all very wisely" when drafting the budget. In particular, he spoke out against attempts to circumvent the debt brake in the Basic Law. The government had already failed once with this, he pointed out, referring to the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court.
The FDP's proposal for a 1.5% budgetary cut across all departments is a potential solution to bridge the budget gap, as acknowledged by deputy faction leader Christoph Meyer. To effectively address the funding shortfall, it's crucial for the federal government to make the necessary savings, as suggested by the president of the Federal Association of Taxpayers, Reiner Holznagel.
