Leonhard: The federal government must get its finances in order quickly
Hamburg's Senator for Economic Affairs Melanie Leonhard (SPD) has called on the federal government to quickly put its finances in order following the Federal Constitutional Court's budget ruling. The Hanseatic city supports "every legally compliant path that leads to the promised subsidies being implemented nationwide without distorting competition and thus advancing the path of transformation in the industry," the senator told dpa on Monday after consultations with her counterparts from the federal and state governments in Berlin.
"Everyone must now work together to realize the promised funding," said Leonhard. "It is important to me that companies can continue to rely on commitments being kept in the future. This reliability is important in order to continue to enable trustworthy investments and to avoid damaging Germany internationally as a business location."
After the meeting, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck assured that he would continue to support economic projects worth billions. The Green politician also sees a solidarity with the federal states. "There is a joint search to find ways now," said Habeck.
The Federal Constitutional Court had declared a reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to be unconstitutional. The federal government is therefore not allowed to use funds intended to combat the coronavirus crisis for climate protection. This could have a major impact on the Climate and Transformation Fund.
The fund is to be used, for example, to finance programs for more climate protection, for the establishment of future technologies and the development towards a climate-neutral economy.
The federal government's swift financial adjustments, as advocated by Senator Leonhard, are crucial for the implementation of economically sound and legally compliant policies, such as those related to household expenditures and climate change. Moving forward, it's essential for the Federal Government to uphold its commitments, ensuring continuity and investor confidence, thereby maintaining Germany's strong global business stance.
Source: www.dpa.com
