Household - "Individual opinion": Prien criticizes the Union's savings plans
Schleswig-Holstein's Education Minister Karin Prien criticized the spending plans of the Federal Union. "The communes cannot bear the total expenses alone and need the support from the Federal Government and the States," said the deputy CDU chairman. Furthermore, there is a clear decision, which was passed at the CDU Federal Party Congress in May. The spending proposals could therefore only be understood as "individual opinion."
CDU parliamentarian Mathias Middelberg has drawn up a list of measures, reported "Handelsblatt," on how the traffic light coalition in the federal budget could save money and present a constitutional budget. According to Middelberg's spending plans, funds would also be cut that the Federal Government uses to finance tasks of the States, such as in education and digitalization.
However, Education Minister Prien emphasized, "Investments in education are investments in the future." This has also been clearly formulated in the CDU's basic program. Therefore, the funds for this should be increased - independently of the development of the Gross Domestic Product.
Furthermore, digitalization is a key factor for Germany's location. "We must invest significantly more in digitalization and research to secure the future of our country," explained Prien. Therefore, it would be "foolish" to save at this point.
In addition to further savings in citizens' income and migration policy, CDU budget politician Middelberg's plans also include the elimination of the "Democracy lives" funding program. Criticism came from Schleswig-Holstein's SPD faction.
The CDU holds the traffic light parties responsible for the strengthening of the AfD in the east and now wants to completely eliminate the democratic promotion of the Federal Government, said the SPD faction leader, Serpil Midyatli. At the end of 2022, Union fraction leader Friedrich Merz himself had approved the introduction of citizens' income in the German Bundestag - now the most money should be saved there.
"Reforms of the debt brake are rejected by the CDU and CSU with all verbal force," said Midyatli. But the money should still flow to the Bundeswehr. With this, the Union practices "pure household populism without sense and understanding."
- Karin Prien, the CDU's Education Minister in Schleswig-Holstein, argued against the Federal Government's spending plans at the CDU party conference.
- The Handelsblatt reported that CDU parliamentarian Mathias Middelberg proposed savings measures to present a constitutional budget within the traffic light coalition's federal budget.
- Prien emphasized the importance of increasing funds for education, as stated in the CDU's basic program, arguing that "Investments in education are investments in the future."
- Middelberg's plans include the elimination of the "Democracy lives" funding program, which has received criticism from Schleswig-Holstein's SPD faction.
- Mathias Middelberg also suggested savings in citizens' income and migration policy, and he wants to cut funds used by the Federal Government to finance tasks of the States, such as education and digitization.
- The CDU and CSU reject the reforms of the debt brake but still want to allocate funds to the Bundeswehr, according to SPD faction leader Serpil Midyatli, who described this as "pure household populism without sense and understanding."
- Middleberg's proposals suggest subsidies cuts to secure the country's future in areas such as digitalization and research, despite their importance, as stated by Karin Prien.
