Further meeting planned between Ramelow and Voigt on the budget

Parliament - Further meeting planned between Ramelow and Voigt on the budget

Another round in the budget dispute: A second meeting between CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt and Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) is expected to take place this Thursday in the search for a compromise on the 2024 budget. This was announced by representatives of the CDU and the government in Erfurt on Tuesday. Ramelow and Voigt had held an initial meeting last Friday to resolve the conflict - the CDU is demanding, among other things, real savings of 13.8 billion euros in the government bill.

Ramelow's red-red-green coalition is dependent on a compromise with the largest opposition faction because it does not have its own majority in the state parliament.

At the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government was informed of the results of the first meeting between the head of government and the opposition leader. Voigt and Ramelow had made it clear that they were willing to reach an agreement - a budget decision in the state parliament could be made in a plenary session on December 20 and 21.

When asked, Voigt said that the CDU parliamentary group had made its expectations regarding budget corrections clear - it also wants the state's financial reserves not to be used in full for next year's budget and, according to dpa information, is demanding, among other things, 60 million euros to continue a state program for small municipalities. The next meeting will focus on what changes the Red-Red-Greens want to make to the draft budget.

According to State Chancellery Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff, Infrastructure Minister Susanna Karawanskij (both Left Party) will present a guideline for the first-time purchase of a residential property by families. This is intended to defuse the dispute over the reduction in real estate transfer tax - the government has constitutional objections to the passage on family support in the law - which would then be regulated by a directive.

At the end of November, the government had proposed compromises to the CDU, including the renunciation of a planned constitutional complaint against the reduction of the real estate transfer tax to 5.0 percent. Voigt then invited Ramelow to talks.

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1. Even though the CDU is the largest opposition faction in the Thuringian state parliament, Bodo Ramelow's red-red-green coalition relies on their cooperation to pass the budget due to the lack of their own majority.
2. Following their initial meeting last Friday, Mario Voigt, the CDU parliamentary group leader, and Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow expressed their willingness to find a compromise during the budget dispute.
3. After the first meeting, the CDU parliamentary group has made clear their expectations for budget corrections, including maintaining financial reserves and securing funds for a state program for small municipalities.
4. The meeting between Ramelow and Voigt is set to continue on Thursday in Erfurt, with a focus on discussing changes the red-red-green coalition wants to make to the draft budget.
5. In an attempt to defuse the dispute over the reduction in real estate transfer tax, State Chancellery Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff mentioned that Infrastructure Minister Susanna Karawanskij will present a guideline for first-time residential property purchases by families.

Source: www.stern.de