- Severe disparagement directed towards the Saar administration's mid-term performance.
Following two and a half years in power, the SPD sole rule administration in Saarland has faced intense criticism from the CDU opposition. "There's a lot of wrapping, yet minimal substance - lots of presentation, little action," stated CDU leader Stephan Toscani during his assessment of Minister President Anke Rehlinger's administration. "The SPD isn't addressing the significant, core, structural issues of the nation. They're shirking their government duties," he asserted, casting a glance at the government benches. Similar to the federal administration, this regional government is simply "a stopgap measure."
Martina Holzner, the SPD's parliamentary administrator, countered the criticism: "We've accomplished much, and we definitely won't be complacent." She specifically emphasized education policy, receiving a third of the budget allocation and exhibiting considerable progress: "We offer solutions instead of continuously complaining."
Toscani argued that the SPD should be evaluated based on their commitments to the people of Saarland. There are no 4,000 care workers, 5,000 social housing units, or 400,000 socially insured jobs by 2027; "The SPD is light-years away from its own objectives." No additional police recruits have been appointed as promised; "This is a breach of trust. This is electoral fraud."
The SPD single-party administration, which has been in power since April 2022, lacks a comprehensive strategy for structural change in Saarland. Toscani accused Economics Minister Jürgen Barke (SPD) of raising hopes six times for a resolution for the Ford plant in Saarlouis, only to disappoint them again: "The economics minister has turned out to be a smoke bomb." There is no reliable roadmap for the future supply of the steel industry with hydrogen. Toscani: "I fear that structural change under the SPD in Saarland will fail, that it will crash against the wall."
SPD accuses the CDU of doomsday prophecy
In education policy, where the SPD seeks "decreasing performance" and lowering standards, a "fundamental change in direction" is required. "The SPD single-party government's self-praise over its own education policy is so distant from reality in kindergartens and schools that one can only shake one's head," said Jutta Schmitt-Lang (CDU).
The MP Kira Braun (SPD) accused the CDU of "doomsday prophecy": "No state government has dived into work during a comparable crisis for many decades." The government has been in crisis mode from day one due to the Covid pandemic and the Russian assault on Ukraine. Many decisions, for instance, stemmed from Germany's reliance on Russian gas: "But for the party whose chancellor was also responsible for these decisions at the highest level to now point fingers at us, that's absurd."
Braun contended that the government also embodies a fresh political style. "Of course, we could've handled some aspects better at certain points," she conceded. But she is convinced that many Saarlanders trust "that this state government is working tirelessly to guide this country through turbulent times."
The SPD's parliamentary administrator, Martina Holzner, mentioned the balanced budget for the first half of the year in her defense, stating, "We've managed the finances responsibly, as evidenced by the balanced budget for the first half of the year." However, Toscani countered by criticizing the SPD's lack of progress on other critical issues, such as employment and infrastructure, stating, "Despite the balanced budget, the SPD's achievements in other key areas like job creation and infrastructure development are minimal."
