SPD leader in favor of extending border controls
At the SPD, there is no opposition to extending border controls beyond the European Football Championship. Party leader Klingbeil aligns himself with Interior Minister Faeser's assessment. Klingbeil's proposals for new special funds may, however, spark more opposition within the traffic light coalition.
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil spoke out in favor of prolonged border controls after the discovery of numerous illegal entries. "We will continue to be in action at the German borders with Poland, Czechia, Austria, and Switzerland to apprehend smugglers and limit irregular migration," Klingbeil told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" in an interview. "This will also be the case after the EM," he replied when asked if border controls at German external borders should continue.
According to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, over 1,400 unauthorized entries were detected during stationary controls alone between June 7 and 13. Border controls will continue at all German Schengen internal borders due to the European Football Championship until July 19. Due to high migration numbers and numerous smuggling activities, there have been stationary controls at the German land borders with Poland, Czechia, and Switzerland for months.
Special Funds for Investments: Klingbeil on BDI Course
Klingbeil also commented on the coalition dispute over the 2025 budget. As an alternative to relaxing the debt brake, Klingbeil proposed a billion-euro special fund for strengthening investments and the economy in Germany. "First, all ministries need to look at where they can save. It's clear that we can't cut 30 to 40 billion euros from the core budget," Klingbeil told the newspaper. "We must therefore also think pragmatically about other things." The Federation of German Industries (BDI) recently proposed a special fund for investments. "The SPD is ready to discuss this," Klingbeil said.
The Federation of German Industries justified its proposal with an investment requirement of 400 billion euros over the next ten years. "We can't let this country go bankrupt," so Klingbeil. He wanted a country "where jobs will still be there in 20 years, where schools function, bridges hold, and trains finally run on time."
Special Funds for Internal and External Security: Seeheimer Circle
An alternative to new special funds would be recognizing a state of emergency due to the consequences of the Ukraine war to suspend the debt brake. "If we set the right impulses with the budget next year, we will see normal growth the following year. If we compress now and new uncertainty arises, that will be rejected. That can't be in the interest of the FDP Finance Minister." And it's undeniable that the war in Ukraine is an exceptional situation. "I don't want to pit economic growth against pensions or support for Ukraine."
The conservative SPD faction "Seeheimer Circle" had previously called for higher expenditures on internal and external security. In addition to the special budget for the Bundeswehr, there should be continuous investments in civil defense, cybersecurity, and the defense against extremist threats, according to a three-page position paper by the group. This should be financed through new debts and tax reform. "We must reject rigid adherence to the black zero [budget surplus] in order to enable massive investments," quoted "Spiegel" from the paper.
- In response to the high number of illegal entries and smuggling activities, the SPD, led by chairman Lars Klingbeil, supports the extension of border controls beyond the European Football Championship, affecting Germany's borders with Poland, Czechia, Austria, and Switzerland.
- Despite the coalition's disagreement over the 2025 budget, Klingbeil proposed a special fund worth billions of euros to boost investments and the economy, aligning with the Federation of German Industries' suggestion for a special investment fund.
- The conservative SPD faction, the "Seeheimer Circle," advocates for higher expenditures on internal and external security, suggesting that new debts and tax reforms should finance continuous investments in civil defense, cybersecurity, and defense against extremist threats, believing that strict adherence to the black zero budget surplus should be rejected.
