The consequences of the Corona crisis and the Ukraine war are a burden on citizens and budgets. The federal government therefore wants to take out additional loans in 2022. The Bundestag now agreed.
–
Of the Bundestag has again overridden the debt brake in the Basic Law due to the ongoing corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This enabled the federal government to take out additional loans. Such a decision is only possible in exceptional emergency situations.
–
Parliament had already allowed large loans in the previous two years – at that time because of the Corona crisis. This time, the Russian attack on Ukraine would have far-reaching effects, the traffic light government argued. Therefore, there is still an “extraordinary emergency situation”. The necessary majority of the members of the Bundestag approved the application of the exception clause. In a roll-call vote, 398 MEPs were in favour, 251 were against and 35 MEPs abstained.
–
New debts of EUR 138.9 billion are planned for the current year. That is around 115.7 billion more than the Basic Law actually allows. Among other things, the money will be used to finance relief packages that are intended to offset rising inflation and high energy prices among citizens. According to the current resolution, the repayment of the additional debt should now begin in 2028 and be completed by the end of 2058.
—
