Government - Günther against easing the debt brake
Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther (CDU) has spoken out in favor of adhering to the strict rules of the debt brake. "Nothing will improve if we incur debt for the sake of debt and shift the burden onto the next generation," Günther told the German Press Agency. "We must not permanently spend more money than we take in." Governments must take this into account.
"I think the debt brake is right, as is the current set of rules," said Günther. Investments are also possible within these rules. However, in view of multiple crises, politicians currently find themselves in a field of tension. "We have to find the money to invest in the future. But I fear that it would also be spent much more frivolously for other purposes if we were to change the rules now." This has often happened in the past.
Günther sees problems with the recent budget ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court. The interpretation of the judges in Karlsruhe is very strict, said the CDU politician. Loans in emergency situations are only permitted if the expenditure is also made in the year. "A look at the Ahr valley shows how difficult this is. The work is still ongoing."
In mid-November, the Federal Constitutional Court declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to the Climate and Transformation Fund null and void following a lawsuit by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The judges also ruled that the federal government may not set aside emergency loans for later years.
In a real crisis, however, challenges often cannot be overcome in one financial year, said Günther. "As a rule, it takes several financial years. And it is a challenging situation that parliaments then have to declare an emergency in every financial year."
Günther referred to the severe floods in the east in October. "We declared an emergency for 2024 and would have to have dealt with this problem financially within twelve months. That is not realistic."
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Source: www.stern.de
