Household - Lack of federal funds: Democracy association Mobit faces problems
Because the Bundestag will no longer approve a budget for 2024 at the end of the year, the Thuringian democracy consultants from Mobit are facing financial difficulties. The head of the project, Romy Arnold, told the German Press Agency that the association will have to use its reserves to continue paying the salaries of its employees from January 1. "We will probably make it until mid-March." Even if there is a federal budget in the next few weeks, Mobit assumes that the reserves cannot be replenished then.
"This is all a huge feat of strength for us," said Arnold. However, Mobit's situation is still comparatively comfortable. She knows of other, smaller democracy projects that have hardly any significant reserves and would therefore actually have to be wound up now.
In addition to civil society initiatives, Mobit also advises administrations in Thuringia and the state police on how to deal with right-wing extremism. According to Arnold, Mobit currently employs ten men and women for this purpose. The project has an annual budget of around 750,000 euros. The federal government provides around 75 percent of this sum through state funding, while the state of Thuringia provides around a quarter.
Arnold said that because there is not yet a federal budget for 2024 and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, which is responsible for the federal funds, has not yet approved any so-called early start of measures, there is currently no prospect of federal payments to Mobit from January 1, 2024 - not even retroactively.
Normally, projects in Germany only receive state funding after they have received a corresponding funding decision. If project work begins earlier, the project sponsor forfeits at least part of its entitlement to state funding. However, the sponsors can only receive the funding decisions once the corresponding funding program has been fully financed.
However, as there is no federal budget for the next year due to the Federal Constitutional Court ruling on the previous budget policy of the traffic light coalition in Berlin, the corresponding funding programs are currently not covered and have been stopped. This principle of funding law can usually only be deviated from if the funding provider grants the potential funding recipients a so-called early start to the measure. They can then begin their work and still receive the full funding amount - in some cases retroactively.
Arnold said that the reserves that Mobit now had to access were actually intended for the likely event of a protracted government formation at the end of 2024 following the state elections in Thuringia.
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- Despite facing financial difficulties due to the lack of a federal budget for 2024, Mobit continues to advise administrations in Thuringia and the state police on dealing with right-wing extremism.
- The German Press Agency reported that Mobit, a Thuringia-based democracy consultancy, will have to rely on its reserves to pay salaries from January 1, as the Bundestag has not approved a budget for 2024.
- The Bundestag's decision not to approve a budget for 2024 has also affected other democracy projects in Germany, causing some to wind up due to lacking significant reserves.
Source: www.stern.de
