- SPD and Greens blame Lindner for budget dispute
**Reignited budget dispute sees SPD and Greens level heavy criticism at Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The FDP politician had several projects reviewed constitutionally and economically after reaching a compromise with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) for the 2025 budget. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert said in ARD: "Now claiming that everything wasn't meant that way, hiding behind supposed or actual reports, is not good style." This was especially true for the publication while the Chancellor was on vacation. "That can only be seen as self-promotion."
Green parliamentary vice-president Andreas Audretsch accused Lindner of unilaterally breaking a joint agreement. "Now he has to present solutions," said Audretsch in ARD. He also made it clear: "There will be no cuts to social programs or climate protection with us." It was also the Chancellor's task to remind the Finance Minister that agreed-upon paths must be carried out together.
SPD budget expert Achim Post also warned via "Bild": "Our state budget must not be an austerity budget, but must ensure social, internal, and external security and create indispensable investments." The Finance Minister was now up to evaluate the planned measures to close the budget gap together with the entire federal government. The SPD expects "constructive solutions that are legally sound."
"This won't happen again"
Initially, the three top figures of the traffic light coalition announced in early July that they had found a compromise on the budget. They had previously struggled for weeks to plug a gap of at least 30 billion euros. However, the review commissioned by Lindner revealed legal risks, especially in the plan to use the remaining 4.9 billion euros of the promotional bank KfW for gas price brakes elsewhere in the budget. The project to lend instead of granting subsidies to the motorway company could also be problematic.
Lindner defended his approach in the ZDF summer interview. The review of several measures had been agreed upon. He had already transparently announced at the presentation of the budget that he would commission independent experts for this. The Finance Minister emphasized that he had already agreed to a coalition compromise on the budget once before, which was shaky and rejected by the Federal Constitutional Court. "This won't happen again," emphasized the FDP chairman.
General Secretary accuses coalition partners of "debt populism"
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai backed up his party leader and criticized the recurring demands to ease the debt brake. "The debt populism of the SPD and Greens is becoming increasingly unbearable," said Djir-Sarai to "Bild". Respect for taxpayers, however, dictates careful handling of the available funds. "This respect is unfortunately often lacking in the SPD and Greens," complained the FDP politician.
Lindner had put the financing gap for the 2025 budget at around five billion euros. However, there is still plenty of time to find a viable solution. He will consult with Scholz and Habeck until mid-month. Afterwards, the budget draft will go to the Bundestag, where it is to be decided by the end of November.
The ARD reported the criticism from SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert towards Finance Minister Lindner, stating that hiding behind reports during the Chancellor's vacation was not appropriate and resembled self-promotion. In another segment of the ARD program, Green parliamentary vice-president Andreas Audretsch accused Lindner of unilaterally breaking a joint agreement and assured that there would be no cuts to social programs or climate protection under their watch.
