Household talk at Maischberger
Gysi criticizes the Union’s lack of ideas
By Marko Schlichting
February 1, 2024, 4:44 a.m
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The Bundestag wants to pass the budget this week – without special funds and in compliance with the debt brake. Gregor Gysi advocates for Maischberger to suspend the instrument in order to enable investments in the future. You can do it that way, explains FDP parliamentary group leader Dürr.
There are two politicians from small parties who are arguing about the current federal budget on Wednesday evening. The Bundestag is due to decide on this this week. The new budget should do without special funds and the debt brake should be adhered to.
The former Left parliamentary group leader Gregor Gysi and the current FDP parliamentary group leader, Christian Dürr, came to the ARD show Maischberger for a discussion. Of course, the two politicians disagree on many issues, but more often than not they have similar views. In the end, moderator Maischberger even laughs at the criticism of Friedrich Merz, which they both share.
Both politicians criticize the attitude of the Union parliamentary group, which this time did not submit any amendments to the budget. The traffic light coalition would reject it anyway, Union parliamentary group leader Merz complained in the Bundestag on Wednesday morning – and thus received clearly audible laughter. “My applications have always been rejected since 1990,” says Gysi. “Nevertheless, we submit applications because they have a different purpose.”
Gysi wants bonuses for citizens’ benefit recipients who are willing to work
Merz’s argument is not logical, says the left-wing politician. “The purpose is to send the information to society, which then discusses it and says, maybe the Union isn’t so wrong or maybe the left isn’t so wrong after all.” The left-wing politician believes that perhaps the Union parties simply had no other suggestions.
The largest part of the budget is used for social expenses, especially for the subsidy for statutory pension insurance. Dürr criticizes that she is not fit for her grandchildren. This should have been built years and decades ago. The federal government is now taking the first step with generation capital, says Dürr. In addition, recipients of citizens’ benefit should receive more incentives to work, and this has also begun. In the future, young trainees who receive citizen’s benefit could, in many cases, keep significantly more of their training allowance.
However, recipients of citizens’ benefit who fundamentally refuse to work would have to expect sanctions. Here, Gysi wants to take the opposite approach and reward those who make a special effort to work with bonuses. However, he agrees with the federal government on one point: Germany has too few skilled workers. “It starts in the federal government,” he says – and then adds that it was of course a joke.
Support for schools in problem areas
Gysi advocates more investment in education. There was a lack of 50 billion euros in this budget. “We have to rely on the wisdom, the intelligence, the knowledge of children and young people, and we need a different educational structure.” The federal states that are responsible for this must work better together.
From this budget, the federal government, together with the federal states, will use 20 billion euros for hotspot schools, i.e. for schools in hotspot districts where people have a particularly difficult time and where some educational qualifications are not achieved, Dürr assures. “The answer is not more and more expansion of the welfare state, but rather an expansion of education. That’s what we will do with this budget. 4,000 schools, a million young people – that’s what it’s all about,” said the FDP politician.
Finally, Gysi talks about the debt brake, which the left had already voted against when it was introduced. Germany is currently in a crisis, which is why the debt brake must be suspended this year too, demands the left-wing politician. Gysi: “You should never go into debt for current expenses. That’s wrong, taxes have to be enough for that. But you can go into debt for the future because that helps children and young people.”
More money for infrastructure despite the debt brake
Leading economic institutes and several large companies are also calling for a suspension or at least a reform of the debt brake, which CDU boss Merz fundamentally rejects. Dürr also believes a suspension is unnecessary: The federal government is investing in infrastructure, he says: “With this budget, we are creating 50 percent more investment in roads, rails and waterways than in 2019, which was the last regular budget before Corona.”
The debt brake makes sense. The state should not take on debt at the expense of future generations. “We need strong framework conditions, strong companies, good infrastructure.” The state collects a lot of taxes that it can then put back into education.
In the end, one can say: Gysi did well, and Dürr represented the federal government competently and sympathetically, even though he was not a member of it. Perhaps he is even speculating on a ministerial office – in a new coalition.