Faeser also wants more money
Lindner remains stubborn on savings target
27.05.2024, 04:16
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After the Defense Minister, Interior Minister Faeser is now also opposing Christian Lindner’s austerity measures. But the Finance Minister is reaffirming his hard line – and is threatening to block the pension package he helped negotiate in the Cabinet.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner is continuing to insist on his austerity measures and compliance with the debt brake during the budget discussions. “We have to come up with a budget that fits the constitution and the economic situation,” said the FDP leader on the ZDF program “Berlin direct.” Economic reasons mean that new debts cannot always be incurred. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai told the “Bild” newspaper: “All ministers have a duty to prepare their budgets in accordance with the current financial plan – there can be no additional spending or a weakening of the debt brake.”
The traffic light coalition is facing difficult negotiations for the 2025 budget. Lindner has called on the ministries to make savings, but several departments are resisting the cuts and demanding more money. After Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also reiterated that she rejects the savings targets. “I need the necessary resources to set up the security authorities in such a way that they can meet the challenges. That is why cuts to our security authorities are out of the question for me,” said the SPD politician in an interview with the magazine “Stern”.
FDP hopes for Scholz
The finance minister pointed out that he had set spending limits for the individual ministries. “And the colleagues must now draw up their individual plans, their departmental plans, within these limits. The Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) has also publicly supported this.” This is also the prerequisite “for the second pension package to be discussed in the federal cabinet this week.” The “Bild” newspaper quoted sources in the finance ministry as saying that there is now great expectation that Scholz will “get the SPD-led ministries back on track.”
SPD parliamentary group vice-chairman Achim Post told Bild that it would not work without priorities. “But in the end, it must not result in a one-sided austerity program. The budget must strengthen external, internal and social security. Anything else would be irresponsible given all the wars and crises.”
When asked about the fact that, as finance minister, he could theoretically draw up the budgets of the individual ministries himself, Lindner said: “I am not someone who makes public threats. It should be in all of our interests as a government that we present a budget and that we get the economy moving again.”