Money is and will remain tight for the foreseeable future. Citizens and companies must manage their resources. And “the state has to do that too,” says FDP chief budget officer Otto Fricke.
Politicians from the traffic light parties are preparing for tough negotiations over the budget for the coming year. “The 2025 budget will be a feat of strength. Without recourse to existing reserves, without a peace dividend, without tailwind from the economy, it is all the more important that the ministries set priorities in their respective individual plans and, even more importantly, decide what they will forego,” said the FDP chief budget officer Otto Fricke of the “Rheinische Post” (Friday).
“Just as citizens, but also companies, have to make do with the resources that are available to them, so must the state,” said Fricke. For better future budgets, it must also be about stimulating economic growth again and ensuring new investment dynamics.
SPD: Constructive debate about financing scope
The SPD parliamentary group vice-president Achim Post told the newspaper that it was of course a matter of prioritizing. “At the same time, however, I also expect a constructive debate about the ways in which financing scope can be expanded.” The budget must meet the enormous challenges of the new era. There can be no reductions in this claim for purely budgetary reasons. “It is clear to the SPD that the 2025 budget must place strong emphasis on growth and the social, internal and external security of our country.”
The Greens parliamentary group deputy Andreas Audretsch also called for investments. “We want to create new economic dynamism and modernize our country. We can strengthen climate protection, create well-paid jobs and renew our prosperity if we dare to invest in our future now,” he told the “Rheinische Post”.
Budget negotiations for 2025 started
Difficult negotiations have begun in the federal government about the budget for the coming year. The Ministry of Finance called on all departments on Thursday to submit proposals for savings. The ministries’ plans should be available by April 19, according to a letter from Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) to his cabinet colleagues, which is available to the German Press Agency. The federal budget for 2025 is due to be decided by the cabinet at the beginning of July, so the ministries must come to an agreement by then. Then it’s the Bundestag’s turn. The budget is usually finally passed in December.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
