State Government - The debate on the forthcoming state budget
In the debate over the next state budget, the tone between the coalition partners is becoming sharper. FDP state chairwoman and Minister of Digitalization Lydia Hüskens told the "Magdeburger Volksstimme": "The state is at its limit." She demands a focus on projects that serve the development of the state, for example in the economy, infrastructure, research, education, and digitalization.
For instance, in the SPD-led Ministry of Social Affairs, there have been hardly any concrete measures for cost reduction so far. On the Children's Promotion Act, Hüskens said: "Neither the staff nor the people perceive an improvement."
The SPD responded in a statement. "Instead of meddling in other ministries, Minister Hüskens should focus on her own area of responsibility," said SPD state chairwoman Juliane Kleemann. "A noticeable progress in the digitalization of Saxony-Anhalt has also not yet reached the people."
SPD: Discussion concerning and unacceptable
From the point of view of the Social Democrats, the current discussion about the double budget 2025/26 and the reduction demands of the FDP are "concerning and unacceptable". "The savings policy and the associated discussion harm the state. We need steps forward, investments, and a future-oriented policy," said SPD state chairman Andreas Schmidt.
"Financial fundamentalist debates à la Lindner do not help and we reject the idea of wanting to save on children and families, especially in early childhood education, social security systems, and a fair promotion of all population layers must be strengthened," the SPD said.
In Saxony-Anhalt, CDU, SPD, and FDP are governing together. The next state election is in two years. Currently, there is fierce wrangling over the budget for the next two years.
"Five-person talks" with ministers are currently taking place
On Tuesday, government spokesman Matthias Schuppe reported that "five-person talks" were now being held within the negotiations. Minister-President Reiner Haseloff (CDU), his deputies Armin Willingmann (Science, SPD) and Lydia Hüskens (Infrastructure, FDP), and Finance Minister Michael Richter (CDU) are now speaking individually with the respective specialist ministers about the budget. It is not known how much the applications are currently still above the available funds.
In June, the applications were more than three billion euros above the available funds for the two years 2025 and 2026. With the funded projects, the coalition partners can still set their priorities before the election. The state had previously planned a volume of around 14 billion euros per year.
The financial sector, particularly the FDP, is heavily involved in the budget negotiations, as they advocate for cost reduction across various sectors. Despite this, the SPD strongly criticizes their approach, stating that the financial fundamentalist debates could negatively impact the state and that investments in early childhood education, social security systems, and the fair promotion of all population layers should be prioritized.
