Billion-dollar
Tension before coordination on financial package
The Union and SPD’s billion -dollar financial package is – now only the two -thirds majority in the Bundestag and the Federal Council. This is not guaranteed in parliament or in the country chamber.
Showdown for the Union and SPD’s billion-dollar finance package: This Tuesday, the necessary changes to the Basic Law in the Bundestag will vote, and then in the Federal Council on Friday. A two -thirds majority is required in the parliament as in the country chamber – in both cases it is not guaranteed. The Federal Constitutional Court could also stop the project: there have been further urgent requests from MPs who want to complain about the short advisory period and enforce a shift in the vote.
The Union and the SPD had agreed last Friday after a long struggle with the Greens, which are needed for the two -thirds majority in the Bundestag. You want to have the Basic Law changed in several places: Expenditures for defense, civil protection, intelligence services and cyber security should only fall under the debt brake up to one percent of gross domestic product – i.e. about 43 billion euros in terms of GDP 2024. Everything in addition can be paid from loans.
The countries should get more scope for their own debt. In addition, a special fund for investments in infrastructure and climate neutrality is to be anchored in the Basic Law. It is excluded from the debt brake and fed with 500 billion euros from loans. Of these, 100 billion euros for the federal states and another 100 billion euros for measures for climate protection are earmarked.
Requirement: bring climate protection and business together
CDU-Vice Andreas Jung warns to take into account together when using the funds from the investment package of business, social affairs and climate protection. “We have the damn obligation to bring it together. Climate neutrality, economic strength, social acceptance, sustainability throughout the width,” said Jung on Deutschlandfunk. “Only then do we get the acceptance, only then will it become a success.” It was always clear that there must also be investments in climate protection, said Jung. “It is crucial that what is done makes sense. The coalition decides. There is no bond.”
The political groups want to prepare the meeting of the Bundestag in the afternoon and evening. In some cases there should also be a trial coordination. Together, the Union, the SPD and Greens have more than they need for the two -thirds majority. The problem is that the question should still be decided by the old Bundestag – also by many MPs who will no longer belong to the new parliament and therefore may feel less bound by the discipline of the parliamentary group.
The former CDU general secretary Mario Czaja already announced that he would not appreciate the financial package in the Bundestag. “I have expressed to my faction that I cannot agree to this change in the Basic Law,” said the outgoing Berlin member of the Bundestag to the news portal “The Pioneer”. This is “not generational, and the reasons that are used for it are not honest”.
Management of the Union faction confidently
The tip of the Union faction is optimistic despite possible deviators. “I am confident that with great unity we will reach the changes in the basic law tomorrow,” said the first parliamentary managing director of the Union Group in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei (CDU), in Berlin. One is talking to the deviations and discussing things open.
Green tip advertises for approval
The Greens tip promoted approval to the compromise found. Due to the negotiations of the Green Group leadership with the Union and the SPD, the package had improved, said Economic and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck on the sidelines of a meeting with the EU Energy Ministers in Brussels. “Important agreements have been achieved.”
It was a “cheek that the German public wanted to sell an infrastructure package as additional measures and actually only wanted to finance their own election gifts with it”. However, this was averted that the package is now “good or good enough,” said Habeck.
Vote in the Federal Council
In the Federal Council, 46 of the 69 votes are necessary for changes in the Basic Law. State governments in which only the CDU, SPD and the Greens are involved in 41 votes. With the six votes from Bavaria, approval would be certain. However, the free voters who governing CSU were recently skeptical.
In the afternoon, the coalition committee of both parties meets to advise Bavaria’s voting behavior in the country chamber. Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) already said on Sunday evening on the ZDF program “Berlin Direct”: “Assume Bavaria in the end.”
Complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court
The non-party, former AfD MP Joana Cotar, made an objection to Karlsruhe for the second time and requested that the vote were moved. With the same goal, three FDP MPs want to make an urgent application in Karlsruhe. They argue that the advisory period for the debt package is not sufficient.
The constitutional judges had already rejected several applications on Friday that aimed to cancel the decisive session of the Bundestag. There were also urgent requests against the design of the legislative procedure. According to the court information on Friday, however, three further organ dispute proceedings and four constitutional complaints were pending – including one of the left, which also complains about the highly accelerated legislative procedure for changing the Basic Law.
dpa
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.
