Opposition criticizes: "Unrealistic mid-term review"
The opposition in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt has criticized the black-red-yellow state government for its mid-term review and its handling of the special coronavirus fund. After Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) drew a positive balance of the first two years, the Greens spoke on Tuesday of a half-time balance that was far removed from reality. "It is understandable that a state government should only give itself a positive assessment at half-time," said Green parliamentary group leader Cornelia Lüddemann. What is incomprehensible and completely incomprehensible is the self-praise in areas where things are clearly not working.
There is a shortage of teachers in all parts of the country, digitalization is stagnating in many areas and renewable energy projects have to deal with very long approval procedures, said Lüddemann. "And what completely reveals the state government's blocked view of reality in view of the current situation is the uncommented but actually unconstitutional coronavirus special fund."
On Tuesday morning, the governing coalition declared that it would not settle a special coronavirus fund of almost two billion euros as an overall package, but would instead look at the measures and financial requirements on an annual basis. Finance Minister Michael Richter (CDU) announced that the emergency situation would be determined for 2023 and 2024, which would make the additional borrowing possible.
The background to this is a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 federal budget 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 also ruled that the state may not reserve emergency loans for later years. Instead, an emergency situation must be declared anew every year.
"The crutch of emergencies must not become a permanent state," criticized the Greens' financial policy spokesperson, Olaf Meister. The Left Party in the state parliament also criticized the government. "The effects of the ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court are considerable for Saxony-Anhalt," wrote the state parliamentary group on the short message service X. For the Left Party, however, it is clear that the debt brake is an outdated concept that should be abolished.
The criticism from the opposition extends beyond the mid-term review, as they also question the government's handling of education, digitalization, and renewable energy projects. Additionally, the opposition fiercely denounces the government's approach to the coronavirus special fund, calling it unconstitutional and a misuse of emergency funds.
Source: www.dpa.com
