Propose Establishment of an "Infrastructure Investment Fund": The Left Suggests for East Germany
The Left political group requests a financial push for eastern Germany. According to their calculations, the nation's public investment requirements for the next decade amount to roughly 600 billion euros. For the eastern federal states, this translates to approximately 190 billion. The party emphasized that public infrastructure significantly contributes to local living standards. They pointed out that municipalities are facing a significant investment deficit in areas like schools, daycare centers, healthcare, and transport infrastructure.
The party plans to introduce an "Investment Fund East," which would be exempt from the debt limit. This fund would facilitate investment in an innovative economy, the enhancement of public services, and the resolution of the municipality and state investment shortfall in the eastern regions. With concrete investment strategies, they aim to drive substantial growth in local transport, refurbish schools, and establish "Community Hubs" in rural areas.
The "Community Hubs" are envisioned as social gathering spots offering essential services such as postal services and banking. In the field of healthcare, the party advocates for each municipality to have its own primary health centers. Additionally, the Left party agrees with the need to boost wages and pensions in the East. They noted that East German workers generally work longer hours and earn around 10% less than their Western counterparts. Last year, for instance, the average full-time income for East Germans was 824 euros lower than that of their Western peers.
The party justifies the need for the "Investment Fund East" due to the municipalities in eastern regions being of which they face a substantial investment deficit. To address this, they aim to establish primary health centers in each municipality.
