Lindner wants significantly reduced borrowing

Created: 01/06/2022, 4:27 PM

Christian Lindner speaks in the opera house at the Epiphany.

© Uli Deck / dpa

At the Epiphany meeting of his party in Stuttgart, the FDP chairman and federal finance minister, Christian Lindner, promised to reduce borrowing by “visibly more than 10 billion euros” for the year 2021.

The budget is not yet available, but credit authorizations in the double-digit billion range will probably not have to be used, said Lindner.

Stuttgart - This could mean that the new debt could be lower than planned by the previous government.

“With the latest supplementary budget, we have reserved 60 billion euros in investment funds for the coming years in order to answer the long-term consequences of the pandemic in the economy.

In doing so, we planned in such a way that we do everything necessary, but not go to the limit of what is financially possible, ”says Lindner.

“It is now the decision of the budget legislature.

But my advice is to reduce actual borrowing for 2021 compared to the original approaches.

A signal should be sent that German fiscal policy continues to focus on stability and that it will return to the normality of the debt brake as soon as possible, "said Lindner on the sidelines of the Epiphany meeting of the German press agency.

Lindner defended the controversial supplementary budget itself in his speech.

It is not intended to finance consumption or redistribution, but rather as an impetus for the economy and to finance failed investments due to the pandemic.

“The supplementary budget is the bridge to the normality of the debt brake of the Basic Law.

We want to return there in 2023, although the economic impact of the pandemic will continue, ”said the finance minister.

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The alternative is a permanent loosening of the debt rule, as has been demanded in part by the CDU.

“I don't think so, because in the end it would finance new consumer spending.

In doing so, we have to learn to curb the demands on the state. ”The prosperity must first be generated before it can then be distributed.

dpa