Woidke is "deeply concerned" about budget ruling
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has expressed his concern to the federal government about the possible consequences of the budget ruling from Karlsruhe. He wrote to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) that the Federal Constitutional Court's decision and the budget freeze on commitment appropriations in the 2023 budget and the Economic Stabilization Fund "worry us deeply". The letter is available to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "Securing funding for our current and planned projects is of fundamental importance for the future viability of our country."
The head of government cites the future concept for the PCK Schwedt/Oder refinery, the production of green steel - which is being planned at Arcelor Mittal, for example - and the realignment of Lusatia as projects for more climate protection in the economy.
Woidke sees risks for part of the funding for the conversion of the PCK refinery. "Parts of the future package promised for PCK will be financed via a special GRW program of the federal and state governments," he told dpa on Tuesday. The federal government's climate and transformation fund has no direct impact on the Uckermark. "We could certainly be affected by the other parts of the package." He had therefore written to Chancellor Scholz and Federal Economics Minister Habeck.
The Federal Constitutional Court had declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 budget to the Climate and Transformation Fund null and void. GRW programs are funds provided by the federal and state governments to strengthen the regional economy. Commitment appropriations are financial commitments for future years.
Woidke mentioned that securing funding for household projects, such as the conversion of the PCK refinery, is crucial for the country's future viability. Given the budget ruling from Karlsruhe and the potential impact on commitment appropriations in the federal budget and the Economic Stabilization Fund, Woidke expressed his concern to the government about potential financial challenges in meeting these household project commitments.
Source: www.dpa.com
