Finance Minister Christian Lindner will no longer present any key points for the 2024 budget. "We will do without that this year," said the FDP chairman of the "Bild am Sonntag". The opposition criticized the announcement.
Christian Görke, financial policy spokesman for the Left Group, said: "With the non-presentation of the budget key points and the financial plan by 2026, the financial policy trickery à la Lindner continues and actually borders on a refusal to work." Apart from the uniqueness in the financial history of the Federal Republic, the structural imbalance of the federal budget should be disguised.
Union faction Vice Johann Wadephul (CDU) wrote on Twitter with a view to the Bundeswehr: "This federal government is standing k.o. You can't even agree on basic parameters. Longer-term procurements are slowed down in this way."
The so-called key figures are usually presented before the final government draft for the budget. Actually, Lindner should have presented this at the beginning of March. However, he postponed the appointment because the ministries could not agree. According to the previous plan, the final government draft is to be approved by the cabinet on June 21 after the tax estimate for May. Then comes the Bundestag, which wants to decide on the budget at the beginning of December.
Lindner: But money is not enough
For the first time, Lindner expects state revenues of more than one trillion euros for the coming year. "Nevertheless, the money is not enough to fund the federal government's legal obligations," he said. At the moment, additional expenses are out of the question. "I warn everyone who is looking for easy solutions like raising taxes. That would be economically wrong. This government must find the strength to save."
A conflict issue in the traffic light is basic child security. From 2025, this is to bundle state benefits for families and children. What is controversial in the coalition is what should go with it. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) wants an increase because, in her opinion, the previous aid does not adequately combat child poverty. She therefore announced a need of twelve billion euros. Lindner replied in the "Bild am Sonntag" that a lot had already happened for families with children. He referred to the increase in child benefit to 250 euros. More is "always desirable, but not always possible".
FDP Deputy Group Leader Christoph Meyer told the German Press Agency: "Lisa Paus' task is to simplify administration for families, but nothing has happened yet. Anyone who asks for money must first say what exactly should be done and how. Lisa stays here too Pau owes answers."
The traffic light government had agreed in the coalition agreement to want to get more children out of poverty with basic child security. Green party leader Britta Haßelmann described the project in the editorial network Germany at the weekend as "one of the next central projects".
