Talks on the 2024 state budget resume after standstill
Thuringia's government is apparently no longer ruling out savings in its draft budget for 2024. They are conceivable, "but you have to think about what the consequences will be", said State Chancellery Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left Party) in Erfurt on Friday. At a meeting between Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) and CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt, no final decisions had yet been made.
However, tasks were discussed that need to be completed for a budget resolution in the state parliament, if possible before the end of December, said Hoff. "The work has to be done now."
Following the meeting with Ramelow, Voigt still expects corrections to be made to the government's draft budget for the coming election year. "The government has to do its job. It is not yet clear where it will go," Voigt told the German Press Agency in Erfurt on Friday.
He reiterated his demand that more money remains in the reserves and that the state's financial cushion is not completely used up in the coming year, leaving only a good 48 euros in the coffers at the end of 2024. "The government must make improvements." The state parliament has a draft budget with record spending of 13.8 billion euros, for which the state will have to release all of its reserves.
Ramelow's red-red-green coalition does not have its own majority in the state parliament and is reliant on support from the opposition. In recent years, this has been the CDU after mostly tough negotiations.
Its parliamentary group leader made a second meeting with Ramelow dependent on what the government proposed. He had actually expected the government to "put something on the table" at the meeting and was disappointed.
The demand to withdraw the lawsuit against the reduction in land transfer tax pushed through by the CDU with the FDP and AfD had played a role in the meeting, but had not unnecessarily burdened the discussion, according to government circles. Voigt said that the government should give up its blockade against the tax reduction.
Like Voigt, Deputy Prime Minister Bernhard Stengele (Greens) spoke of talks in a constructive atmosphere. "There is a common desire not to send Thuringia into a period without a budget," Stengele told dpa. According to him, there will be a working group. "The budget holders will have to go into this in depth once again."
Household expenses could potentially be affected by the savings the Thuringia government is considering in the draft budget for 2024. The state parliament needs to complete tasks and make decisions on the budget resolution before the end of December.
Source: www.dpa.com
