SPD considers suspending the debt brake
In several regions of Germany, there is growing concern about major dyke breaches and further flooding. The continuous rain is expected to continue until Thursday. For the SPD, the masses of water are already giving rise to financial considerations along the lines of the Ahr valley flood.
In view of the tense flood situation in Germany, the SPD is considering suspending the debt brake once again. "The full extent of the flood damage is not yet foreseeable, but for precisely such cases we have the option of suspending the debt brake in the Basic Law," said Dennis Rohde, budget policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, to the magazine "Stern". The ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court has not changed this. "We will now closely examine whether we can achieve this financial dimension."
The SPD chief budget officer Rohde, whose constituency Oldenburg-Ammerland is located in the flood area, emphasized the special responsibility of the federal government. "It was true a few years ago for the people in the Ahr valley and it is still true today: the people in the affected regions can rely on the federal government," said Rohde.
"We need more and better equipment for disasters in Germany," DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt told the Rheinische Post newspaper. "The deficits are glaring, especially in terms of material equipment." After the flood disaster in the Ahr valley in 2021, the awareness of those politically responsible for civil protection has increased. "There's not much left of that now."
No relief in flood areas
There are no signs of relief in the flood areas in several federal states for the time being. The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of persistent rain in parts of Germany, which is expected to continue until Thursday night. There is great concern that the situation in the flooded areas could worsen. Many dykes are softened, meadows and fields in several regions of Lower Saxony continue to resemble lake landscapes. In other regions of Germany, there have been floods on the Elbe, for example.
Lower Saxony, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, the south of Saxony-Anhalt and the north of Thuringia are still particularly affected. According to the weather service, heavy rainfall is expected from Lower Saxony to the Black Forest and in the eastern and south-eastern low mountain ranges until Thursday. Meteorologists expect 30 to 50 liters per square meter within 30 to 60 hours, and up to 120 liters in the mountains.
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Given the projected severe weather conditions and potential worsening of the flood situation in Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of persistent rain until Thursday night. This has led to further concerns about the stability of dykes and the possibility of further flooding in affected regions. The SPD, considering the financial implications of the disaster, is contemplating whether to suspend the debt brake once again, as they did following the Ahr valley flood, to cover potential damages.
Source: www.ntv.de
