Bundestag decides on Corona budget: Criticism of new debts - Merkel live now

The federal budget for the coming year is shaped by the Corona crisis.

Many have a stomach ache in the face of high debts.

Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks in the general debate on Wednesday.

• The

  federal budget

  for the coming year

  is currently being

  negotiated in the

  Bundestag

  .

• On Wednesday, Chancellor

  Angela Merkel

  * will

  speak

  in the general debate.

• Vice Chancellor

  Olaf Scholz

  defended the budget on Tuesday.

Update from December 9th, 8:53 a.m.:

This week the Bundestag deals with the

- the climax will take place on this Wednesday.

In a four-hour general debate starting at 9 a.m., Chancellor

will also

take the floor and explain her policy.

Budget debate in the Bundestag: Olaf Scholz defends debt plans

First report from December 8, 9:20 p.m .:

Berlin - During the final deliberations on the

, the grand coalition defended its debt plans for the coming year.

The federal government has the responsibility to protect the health of the citizens and at the same time to lead the country out of the crisis economically and socially, said Vice Chancellor

on Tuesday in the Bundestag.

"We have chosen this path and will continue to do so," he announced.

Union parliamentary group vice-president

emphasized that the planned high debts would not be taken lightly, but because human life, health and coexistence were endangered.

“Because it hits our country to the core.” However, the opposition criticized the wrong focus.

budget

for the coming year is shaped by the

*.

Companies should be able to apply for grants of around 39.5 billion euros.

Hospitals, airports and the railways are also supported.

Around 2.7 billion euros are earmarked

for the procurement of

*.

Overall, Scholz is planning to spend almost half a trillion euros, more than a third of which will be financed from debt.

Loans of almost 180 billion euros are planned.

Bundestag adopts budget: debt brake is suspended

The

sat therefore - as in the current year - the debt brake in the constitution suspended.

Actually, income and expenditure in the federal budget have to be balanced as far as possible without new loans.

The

allows only minimal debt of up to 0.35 percent of the gross domestic product.

Scholz's plans for the coming year clearly exceed this figure.

The Bundestag can only make an exception in emergencies, such as natural disasters or exceptional emergency situations.

The federal government must then at the same time draw up a repayment plan for the debt.

The federal states welcome the suspension of the #debt brake next year.

In a briefing, they take a position on the # household2021 The @bundesrat agree that there will also be an "exceptional emergency situation" in 2021.

#bundestagsnachrichten 👇https: //t.co/OiSGHzsNSE

- Today in the Bundestag (@hib_Nachrichten) December 8, 2020

The

emphasized that Germany would have to repay billions in the coming decades.

same time,

believes that strong economic growth can improve the debt ratio again on its own.

"We will grow out of this crisis," he announced.

But that will only work if investments are made in the right future fields, for example in a

and technological and digital progress.

In addition, people with high wealth would have to make a higher tax contribution.

Bundestag adopts budget: Criticism from the FDP and AfD, the Left and the Greens call for investments

While the

and

* sharply criticized the amount of the planned debts, the

* and

*

demanded

that loans should also be taken out for investments in the future.

Above all, they criticized the main focus of the budget.

While corporations like

would be saved with billions, the government was feeding the unemployed with alms, said the left housekeeper,

.

She demanded a property levy for the richest 0.7 percent of the population and the abolition of the "future killer" debt brake.

The housekeeper of the Greens,

, warned of the "dangerous pressure to save after Corona" - if the federal government wanted to comply with the debt rule again under all circumstances.

"You have to ensure that the red pen is not applied after Corona *," he said and called for longer debt repayment periods and more leeway for credit-financed investments through a reform of the debt brake.

Bundestag approves budget: Chancellor Merkel speaks on Wednesday in the general debate

FDP parliamentary group vice

on the other hand, described debts as a “sweet poison” that tempted the federal government to solve all problems with money.

For example, the promised corporate aid would not yet reach those affected because Minister of Economic Affairs

could not get the necessary software ready.

With the right policy, the federal government could get by with half of the debt in the coming year - but Scholz would have to dare to say no and cut spending.

Video: Finance Minister Olaf Scholz does not expect a black zero until 2024

The AfD also called for significantly lower debts.

The federal government's reaction to the crisis with the

was completely exaggerated, said housekeeper

.

In the coming year you will only really feel the effects, tens of thousands of bankruptcies are to be expected.

"After us, the flood" is clearly the motto of this budget of the cabinet exiles Merkel and Scholz, "he criticized.

On Friday, the

finally

on the budget for the coming year.

Before that, the budget plans of the individual ministries are on the agenda - on

that of the Chancellery with the traditional general debate with Chancellor

*.