The SPD leader supports the EU in complying with the debt brake again at the expense of investments.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin SPD Chairwoman Saskia Esken has openly questioned Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s (FDP) plan to comply with the debt brake from next year. With a view to financing possible further relief for citizens because of the high inflation, she told the “Tagesspiegel” (Sunday): “The question of financing is justified and very serious. I tell you: We will have to talk in the coalition about the debt brake or other ways of financing.”
Lindner, on the other hand, has announced that the debt brake enshrined in the Basic Law, which only allows minimal borrowing, is to be complied with again from next year. In recent years, it had been suspended because of the high loads caused by the corona pandemic and then by the war in Ukraine. The federal budget for 2022 provides for new borrowing of almost 139 billion euros.
Lindner countered Esken on Twitter on Sunday: “My impression is that not everyone in politics has yet understood that we are also experiencing an economic turning point that will still concern us very much,” wrote the Minister of Finance. After the financial crisis, the state was able to get out of debt “downhill” because interest rates had fallen. Now you have to lead him “uphill” out of debt because the interest burden is increasing.
“That requires very hard work and strong nerves.” But it also shows that the debt brake must be complied with again as soon as possible. “That’s why I’m sticking to it in 2023,” emphasized Lindner.
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Esken explained that the European Union had also made it clear that it would be fundamentally wrong if the public budgets were to forego investments in favor of the debt rules. “I share this view.”
Tasks such as combating climate change, demographics or social cohesion did not take a break. “That’s why we have to look for ways to continue investing and to be able to finance our social policy projects.”
The opposition reacted with malice to the internal coalition dispute. The SPD behaves like in the grand coalition, tweeted Union parliamentary group leader Steffen Bilger (CDU): “not a day without provoking the coalition partner”.
More: The Bundestag is again suspending the debt brake for 2022