The Bundestag has approved the federal budget for the current year. Marked by the Ukraine war and the corona pandemic, new debts of almost 139 billion euros are planned.
A good eight months after the federal elections, the first budget of the new federal government made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP is in place. The Bundestag approved the budget for 2022, thereby enabling the second highest level of new debt in the history of the Federal Republic. Additional debts of 139 billion euros are planned, which Finance Minister Christian Lindner justified with “war and crisis”. The causes are therefore the management of the corona pandemic and the consequences of the Ukraine war. With the chancellor majority, the deputies lifted the debt brake for the third year in a row in order to make the high level of debt possible. In the budget for 2023, Lindner wants to comply with the debt brake again. According to Reuters information from the government, 15 to 17 billion euros in new debt will then be permitted.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt accused the coalition of accumulating a new mountain of debt. Lindner rejected this, pointing out that the budget also included the relief packages, for example for high energy costs as a result of the Ukraine crisis. “A total of 39 billion euros in aid for refugees, domestic support, military training, solidarity with Ukraine,” said the FDP politician. “Name one measure that you do not want or that the countries you govern do not like to implement.”
With the budget, Lindner remains below the record debt of 215.4 billion euros in 2021, but exceeds the 130.5 billion euros from the first Corona year 2020. There is also a special fund of up to 100 billion euros for better equipment of the Bundeswehr. This should also be decided on Friday. However, the fund is not part of the formal budget and does not fall under new borrowing because the debt for this is expected to be spread over about five years. Due to an amendment to the Basic Law, the debt brake does not apply to the fund.
With the 2022 budget, the borrowing actually permitted according to the debt brake will be exceeded by 115.7 billion euros. Lindner and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have announced that the debt brake should apply again in the 2023 budget. Lindner is to present the draft to the cabinet on June 22nd. The “Spiegel” reported that Lindner was planning new debt of around 16 billion euros. The Treasury Department said it could not confirm that number. Budget talks are still ongoing.
