The traffic light coalition’s budget for next year will blow up in its face! And Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) may also have his coalition blown up.
After less than a month, the big traffic light clash over the nitty-gritty – over money – is over: FDP (debt brake) against SPD and Greens (more money, less cuts)! And all this in the middle of the parliamentary summer recess and the Chancellor’s vacation time (Scholz only interrupted this to receive the exchanged prisoners from Russia).
The traffic light bomb is ticking in Berlin!
Reason: The government has botched things again. Scholz himself had praised the traffic light compromise on the budget after a long dispute: “With this budget, we are creating security and stability in times that are characterized by unrest and uncertainty.”
The Chancellor himself had made three key proposals on how to shrink a 17 billion euro hole in the budget.
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Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had Scholz’s three ideas examined. The result (available to BILD): The Finance Ministry’s scientific advisory board classifies them as unconstitutional or problematic. An external expert also reports doubtsl:
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► Subsidies to the railway should be reclassified as loans. Advisory board verdict: “Constitutional problems!” Fake loans – because the federal government will pay them back later.
► Federal subsidies to Autobahn GmbH should also be relabeled as loans. Expert opinion: “Doubts that the granting of loans can be considered a financial transaction.” Because Autobahn GmbH has no income to repay.
► Remaining funds from the state-owned KfW Bank are to be diverted to the budget for expenditure. The experts: “Significant constitutional risks”.
Had the Chancellor’s ideas examined – and rejected: Finance Minister Christian Lindner (45, FDP)
Foto: picture alliance / SZ Photo
Lindner is not willing to take on new debt, according to those close to him. They are not playing with the constitution. The budget will not be delayed. Savings just have to be made elsewhere.
IT JUST IS!
The SPD: on the pinnacle!
▶︎ Party leader Saskia Esken (62): “Lindner’s behaviour exceeds the limits of what is tolerable.”
Furious with the FDP leader. SPD leader Saskia Esken (62)
Photo: Lucas Röhr/dpa
▶︎ Group leader Rolf Mützenich (65): “Irresponsible!”
▶︎ SPD budget expert Achim Post (65) apparently does not really trust Lindner’s judgment on the Chancellor’s ideas: “I expect that the government will evaluate the reports together.” Since a “solution is emerging” for the railway coal issue, says Post, “there would still be a gap of around four billion euros to be closed, which does not seem to me to be an insurmountable task.”
Warns the Finance Minister: SPD budget expert Achim Post (65)
Photo: Bernd Thissen/dpa
Letter to Lindner: “No austerity budget!”
The Greens: angry! Group vice-chairman Andreas Audretsch (40) accuses Lindner of being a hawk: “Burying your head in the sand is not enough now.” Lindner “cannot just reject proposals, he must develop solutions. There is sufficient scope for this in legal and financial terms.”
Sees enough financial leeway for the traffic light coalition: Green Party deputy Andreas Audretsch (40)
Foto: picture alliance / Geisler-Fotopress
Audretsch to Lindner: “With us, there will be no austerity!”
IT JUST IS!
Yellow against red-green – the traffic lights are stuck in a stalemate.
And the Union?
▶︎ CDU Chief Merz is already planning new elections before the end of the year.
▶︎ CDU General Secretary Linnemann (46, CDU) rages to BILD: “The traffic light coalition simply can’t do it! This is unprecedented and just embarrassing. A federal government is not in a position to draw up a budget.” The traffic light coalition’s finances are “built on sand”. Linnemann: “I expect the federal government to close the gap now without any new tricks. It must finally set priorities now.”
Sees red in the traffic light finances: CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann (46)
Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa
▶︎ CSU leader Markus Söder (57) doesn’t even want to look at it anymore: “This coalition can’t even do proper math. In school, that would have been a straight 5. They just can’t do it. The budget is full of holes and bad checks.”
Söder to BILD: “We finally need a change of government.”
