The SPD opposition in the NRW state parliament has accused the black-green state government of making massive cuts in internal security despite the announced security package. “Your entire security package will evaporate if you do not make a 180-degree turn in your budget policy,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Jochen Ott in the budget debate in the state parliament. Millions of euros would have to be invested additionally to implement the numerous measures.
Ott accused Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) of “hypocrisy”. The black-green coalition wants to cut 600,000 euros from the budget for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution alone. The state does not have enough staff for the announced criminal prosecution of illegal posts on the Internet. NRW needs more judges and prosecutors for better prosecution. “The Prime Minister’s (Hendrik Wüst) security package is basically an admission that he and his government have neglected internal security,” said Ott. There is also no money in the budget for the second deportation detention center announced by Wüst.
Black-Green coalition in NRW takes out billions in loans
The black-green NRW state government submitted the draft for the 2025 state budget and a supplementary budget for 2024 to the state parliament. For the first time, the CDU and the Greens are planning billions in debt under the statutory debt brake. Despite a prescribed austerity program, the budget volume in 2025 is to rise by around three billion euros to a previous high of 105.5 billion euros.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the measures announced as a consequence of the terrorist attack in Solingen, which left three people dead, have not yet been included in the draft budget. There will be further changes to the budget.
Almost three weeks after the suspected Islamist knife attack in Solingen, the black-green NRW government coalition presented a comprehensive security package with dozens of measures on Wednesday. It provides for more police powers at the state level, stricter deportation rules, the strengthening of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, stricter monitoring of potential extremists and better data exchange between authorities.
