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The 2021 Christmas bonus will be paid from December 15
The new German government has just found 60 billion euros to finance its investment program, in particular intended to accelerate the energy transition.
The announcement was made Friday evening by the Minister of Finance, Christian Lindner, known for a rigorous approach to budget management.
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These funds will be taken from "
part
" of the new debts contracted under the 2021 budget, but not used, said the grand financier, also president of the liberal FDP party.
Only 160 billion euros of the 240 billion debt will be devoted to the financing of partial unemployment measures or compensation for entrepreneurs hit by the health crisis, specifies the ministry.
What would remain in the coffers despite the arrival of a virulent fifth wave of Covid in the country will therefore be made available to a Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF), itself intended to materialize the environmental promises of Coalition.
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Through this, the government intends to reconcile its promise to return to a balanced budget and its need for new money in order to "green" the country's economy - 80% of electricity production will have to be provided by sources. renewable energy by 2030. The coalition did not indicate the total amount of investment needed.
This budgetary sleight of hand has been severely criticized by the Christian Democratic opposition in the Bundestag.
The president of the Court of Auditors, Kay Scheller, himself considered that this measure could be "
problematic from a constitutional point of view
".
