Taubert rejects more jobs and wants to reduce financial needs

Created: 06/10/2022Updated: 06/10/2022 15:01

Heike Taubert (SPD).

© Martin Schutt/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/Archive image

No more money and no new jobs - Finance Minister Taubert is taking this position in the negotiations with the specialist ministers on the 2023 budget. It will probably be clear on July 12 how they will turn out.

Erfurt - Thuringia's Finance Minister Heike Taubert (SPD) is facing tough negotiations with her cabinet colleagues on the 2023 budget in the coming weeks.

The financial requirements reported by the ministries exceed the targets by almost 800 million euros, Taubert said on Friday in Erfurt.

"The budget can in no way cope with this sum."

Taubert also ruled out that 800 additional jobs will be created in the state administration, as some ministries demanded.

"That's a no-go for me." Above all, the interior, justice, infrastructure and environment ministries have reported an additional need for personnel.

Taubert pointed out that around 4,000 positions in the state administration are currently vacant.

In addition, Thuringia already has a high proportion of staff of 27 state servants per 1000 inhabitants in relation to the population.

In the East German average, this value is below 26. Taubert: "There will be no increase in jobs in 2023."

The so-called chief talks between the finance minister and the specialist ministers are to begin next week and are expected to last until July 6th.

The notification of a very high financial requirement by the ministries during the budget negotiations has a long tradition in Thuringia.

Her goal is for the cabinet to decide on a draft budget for the coming year on July 12, which can be sent to the country for consultation.

According to their plans, it will have a volume of around 12.4 billion euros.

For this purpose, 760 million euros are to be taken from the state's financial reserve, which will then shrink to 280 million euros.

It could be increased again if the additional tax revenue of 457 million euros forecast in May were actually collected in the coming year.

However, compared to this year, the budget volume will increase to around 12.0 billion euros, of which 330 million euros will also have to be saved over the course of the year following a budget resolution by the state parliament.

The budget volume would increase, among other things, due to higher payments from the state to the municipalities, but also for pensions or other benefits and more money from the federal government and the EU program.

Taubert wants to stick to the implementation of the savings decision this year - regardless of the talks between Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) and CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt.

"The ministries have to say where they want to cut."

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The CDU parliamentary group had initiated the savings decision of 330 million euros and bound their approval of the 2022 budget to it.

There have been no talks between her and Ramelow and Voigt since they met, Taubert said.

It is bound to the budget decision of the state parliament, after the savings cannot be offset with additional tax revenue.

"It's in the law.

I have no leeway there,” said the finance minister.

dpa