An exchange of letters between Habeck and Lindner about tight finances puts the traffic light coalition under stress. Chancellor Scholz rejects a position, but then lets his spokesman take a stand: the debt brake will not be touched.
In the budgetary debate between Economics Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is holding back. Deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner said in Berlin when asked about the sometimes sharp tone of the correspondence between the Greens politician Habeck and FDP leader Lindner that he did not want to evaluate this any further.
However, Büchner emphasized that the federal government was in agreement on compliance with the debt brake, which only allows the federal government to take out new loans to a limited extent. “There is a consensus within the federal government that the financial leeway will be very limited in the coming budget years and that the debt rule must be observed. And this is the basis on which these budget consultations are now being conducted.”
Negotiations are currently underway about updating the key figures and the 2024 budget, which provides for an upper limit of around 424 billion euros. The wishes of the ministries already exceed the budget framework for 2024 by 70 billion euros. Compliance with the debt brake is particularly important to the FDP, and Habeck also expressly emphasized in his letter that the Greens did not question the regulation. However, there is a dispute between the Greens and the FDP as to how the federal government should operate within these limits. The core question is whether and how more income can be generated and which projects should have priority. You don’t want to reflect any water levels on the status of the talks, said Büchner.
In addition to the exchange of blows by correspondence, Lindner had also made his criticism of Habeck public. The Green politician had just written him a letter and asked for revenue improvements. “That’s the fashionable word for tax increases,” said the FDP chairman on Thursday at an event in Vienna. “But I can only say: Don’t be afraid, that won’t happen.” Actually, the tax rates should be lowered, added Lindner. This is currently unthinkable in the traffic light government with SPD and Greens.
