Blockade of Lindner law
Paus defends himself against allegations of extortion from the FDP
08/17/2023 10:16 am
Family Minister Paus puts the planned Growth Opportunities Act on hold with her veto – and the FDP is fuming. According to the Liberals, the blockade is intended to extort more funds for basic child security. The Green politician vehemently rejects this.
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus has rejected the FDP’s accusation that by blocking the Growth Opportunities Act she wanted to get more money for basic child security. “I don’t believe in playing economic support measures or higher defense spending off against more funds for families threatened by poverty,” Paus told the newspaper “Welt”. The FDP had previously spoken of an attempt at blackmail.
Paus vetoed the passage of the Growth Opportunities Act by Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner in the cabinet on Wednesday. It provides billions in tax breaks for companies. The background is obviously differences of opinion with Lindner about the financing of basic child security, for which Paus considers more funds to be necessary.
“As Minister for Family Affairs, I naturally stand up for families,” Paus told the “Welt”. “That’s my job and my conviction.” If savings have to be made, setting priorities is a particular challenge: “Of course there are distribution conflicts,” said the Greens politician. “But basic child security will come. Especially in difficult times it is important to invest in social cohesion.”
“There is still a need for advice on content”
It is correct that the coalition has agreed to focus on the economic situation at the cabinet meeting in Meseberg at the end of August, said Paus. There is also a need for advice on content, at least on the part of the Greens. “Basically, we also need government stimulus to strengthen growth opportunities.”
Lindner and Paus have been arguing for months about how much money should be available for the introduction of basic child security from 2025. Paus initially put the costs at twelve billion euros per year, but recently spoke of up to seven billion euros. The financial planning for 2025 presented by Lindner only contains a “placeholder” of two billion euros. “The basic child security is the most important socio-political project of the federal government,” Paus now emphasized to the “world”. “But we also need unity for that. That’s why I’m willing to talk.”
Her house has calculated various variants, which the federal government is now discussing, said the minister. “Overall, the project is in a corridor of two to seven billion euros.” She is confident “that we can get very good basic child security.” Your draft law has already “progressed very far”.