Traffic light budget debacle
Special assets of the Bundeswehr also frozen
November 23, 2023, 7:13 a.m
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The Bundeswehr is to be brought into shape with around 100 billion euros. However, the traffic light government’s unsuccessful budget policy is causing a blockage even in the special fund.
After the turbulence caused by the Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling, the Federal Ministry of Finance also imposed a budget freeze on the Ministry of Defense. The payment stop affects not only the regular defense budget, but also the troops’ special assets, as can be seen from a letter from Minister Boris Pistorius’ department, which is available to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
“In order to avoid further prior burdens for future financial years, all commitment authorizations managed by you from the 2023 federal budget and also from the 2023 economic plan of the Bundeswehr special fund and which are still available are blocked until further notice,” it says in the document.
The reason for this is the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court and the resulting reassessment of the budget situation. Obligations that have already been approved are excluded from the blocking notice, as the letter continues.
The Bundeswehr’s special assets have so far not been affected by the financial policy upheavals of the Karlsruhe judge’s ruling. It was introduced with constitutional status after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Because of the new legal situation, the traffic light coalition has decided to cancel the second adjustment meeting to finalize the 2024 budget, which was actually scheduled for Thursday. The CDU chief budget officer Christian Haase welcomed the fact that the SPD, Greens and FDP were meeting a demand from the Union. “In the end, reason prevailed at the traffic lights. Finally, the emergency brake we demanded was pulled in the parliamentary process,” Haase told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. This is absolutely necessary in the dramatic budget situation.