Hofreiter: Chancellor should have apologized
The traffic light coalition is currently struggling to find a solution to the budget crisis. The public is only getting chaos. Scholz is to blame for this because of his poor communication, says Green politician Hofreiter. "He is the chancellor, he bears the responsibility."
Green politician Anton Hofreiter has sharply criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his communication in the budget crisis. "In this government statement, Olaf Scholz did not explain to anyone what really happened. He provided technical answers, not political ones. I would have liked Olaf Scholz to say for once that he is sorry about this chaos," Hofreiter told Der Spiegel with regard to Tuesday's government statement on the budget crisis. Hofreiter said that Scholz should have apologized to the citizens. "He is the chancellor, he bears the responsibility."
With regard to the current consultations between Scholz, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner on the federal budget for 2024, Hofreiter called for a greater sense of responsibility. "I expect all three parties involved to be honest and realize the situation we are currently in. This is not about an internal German debate for gourmets. We are in a systems competition: democracy versus autocracy, war versus peace," said Hofreiter.
The traffic light coalition is under great pressure to make decisions in the budget crisis. The Federal Constitutional Court had declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to the Climate and Transformation Fund null and void. The money had been approved as a coronavirus loan, but was subsequently to be used for climate protection and the modernization of the economy. At the same time, the judges ruled that the state was not allowed to set aside emergency loans for later years. However, the federal government has done this in special pots - which is now tearing additional holes in the budget. Lindner sees a "need for action" of 17 billion euros for 2024.
The coalition must reach an agreement within the next few days if it wants to adopt the budget for 2024 this year. The SPD, FDP and Greens must reach a political agreement in principle by the cabinet meeting on Wednesday so that there is still enough time for the parliamentary process. Possible savings, particularly in social spending, are controversial.
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Despite Green politician Anton Hofreiter's call for an apology from Chancellor Olaf Scholz over communication issues in the budget crisis, Scholz has yet to apologize. The complexity of the budgetary policy challenges faced by the traffic light coalition, including the ruling from the Federal Constitutional Court, is making it difficult for Scholz, Habeck, and Lindner to find a solution.
Source: www.ntv.de
