Wissing intends drastic reductions in highway funding allocations.
During the recent revamp of the railway network, cost-cutting measures are already in motion, and now it appears that the same will happen on the highways. As per a news report, the Ministry of Transport is contemplating slashing investments in Autobahn GmbH by several billions of Euros by 2028. The German Environmental Federation (BUND) speculates that Minister Wissing's cabinet might have hidden agendas.
The Federal Transport Ministry, led by the FDP, is rumored to be planning drastic reductions in highway investment budgets. According to a leaked government draft budget in "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung" (FAS), billions are at stake. The Transport Ministry vaguely acknowledged this and referred to the "current financial situation" and the necessity of savings.
Environmentalists perceive this move as a clever tactic. According to FAS reports, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing aims to lower the funding for Autobahn GmbH from the previously estimated 6.29 billion Euros to 4.99 billion Euros for the upcoming fiscal year. This translates to a reduction of about 20%. For 2026 and 2027, further savings of one billion Euro each are planned, and 378 million Euros are expected to be saved in 2028. A Transport Ministry representative stated, "The investment demand exceeds the currently financially feasible amount." This applies to all transportation means, including roads (highways and federal highways), rail, and waterways.
According to FAS reports, these cuts will leave the Autobahn GmbH with substantially less money than it calculates it would require. Internal company data suggests a deficit of 4.1 billion Euros by 2028.
The German Construction Industry Federation strongly condemned these cuts. Federation President Peter Hübner told FAS, "The unfortunate tradition of Germany damaging its roads and bridges continues." The planned cuts will likely result in more speed limits due to road damage, lane closures, and an increase in potholes.
Greenpeace viewed the budget plans as "refreshingly honest." Minister Wissing should therefore "halt all new construction projects and review them," added Greenpeace Transport Expert Benjamin Stephan. "With the current figures, such as escalating construction costs, most planned projects are no longer economically viable."
On the other hand, BUND suspects a trick: "First, they stir up fear, like the supposed impending weekend driving bans, and then offer a supposed solution," explained Jens Hilgenberg. "In this case, the FDP ministers might be trying to push their plan for an infrastructure fund financed by private investors." Such a plan faces considerable opposition, especially since the FDP primarily champions "nature-destructive and climate-damaging" highway expansion projects.
The Transport Ministry spokesperson brought up the ongoing internal government budget negotiations for 2025 and the financial planning for the subsequent years. "Our goal is to increase investments in transport infrastructure within the available financial resources," he concluded. "This indisputably includes investments in highways and federal highways."
Read also:
- Greenpeace commends Minister Wissing for being "refreshingly honest" about the planned budget reductions for Autobahn GmbH, suggesting he should halt new construction projects and review existing ones due to escalating costs.
- BUND, the German Environmental Federation, expresses suspicion towards the FDP-led Transport Ministry's austerity policy, claiming that the proposed cuts may be a trick to push for an infrastructure fund financed by private investors, which could further harm the environment.
- During the debate over the FDP's budget policy, BUND member Jens Hilgenberg criticizes the Ministry for using fear-mongering tactics, such as the threatened implementation of weekend driving bans, only to later offer supposed solutions, like the proposed infrastructure fund.
