Kretschmann: "No money shit in the State Ministry"

Created: 07/05/2022 15:43

Winfried Kretschmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg.

© Marijan Murat/dpa

In the struggle for the narrow financial leeway in the next budget, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has given his government colleagues little hope.

"The corridor will be greatly reduced for the houses anyway, because the municipalities have to be helped," said the Green Prime Minister on Tuesday in Stuttgart.

It remains to be seen whether, in view of the consequences of the Ukraine war with inflation and a lack of gas, the previous plans for the double budget for 2023/2024 can be retained.

Stuttgart - The ministries are all "mentally prepared that it can be completely different, as it is in the key data".

This includes additional expenditure totaling 890 million euros.

The country must deal with the money that is available to it - this also applies to climate protection and the traffic turnaround.

However, he will insist on the federal government that, as promised, the regionalization funds for the expansion of local public transport be increased.

That's why he's meeting with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) this Thursday.

In the country his hands are tied, he cannot do magic.

"I don't have a money turd in the State Department either."

Kretschmann did not rule out that a situation could arise in the course of the year in which new debts would also be necessary.

“If a real emergency arises, the debt brake provides for exceptions.” But: “We are not in that situation yet.” Such measures can only be discussed if such a situation arises.

The head of government reacted cautiously to demands from Green Party leader Pascal Haggenmüller that the federal government must increase the income of the states.

Haggenmüller had also demanded that the debt brake be suspended for climate protection.

He sees no majorities in favor of reforming the debt brake accordingly, said Kretschmann.

That's why he doesn't bother with it.

dpa