Civil protection: CDU faction leader insists on more money

Created: 09/04/2022, 08:39

Manuel Hagel, CDU parliamentary group leader in the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg, takes part in a conversation with the German Press Agency.

© Marijan Murat/dpa/picture archive

In the federal government, the funds for civil protection and disaster relief are to be reduced.

The Southwest CDU thinks this is wrong and wants to take countermeasures in the country.

Does the budget still allow for that?

Stuttgart - CDU parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel called for more funds for civil protection before the budget negotiations of the green-black coalition.

Unlike the federal government, the state has to spend more money here, Hagel told the German Press Agency in Stuttgart.

"We want to invest heavily in the coming years in order to make our civil protection and civil protection fit for the future."

Hagel criticized the fact that the federal government wanted to cut costs here in the next budget.

"The many hundreds of millions of savings in civil protection by the traffic light coalition in the federal budget are irresponsible, do not fit in with the times and go against all the promises of the SPD," said the parliamentary group leader.

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) will receive 112 million euros less in the coming year than this year, and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) will also have to accept a minus of 158 million euros.

A spokeswoman had explained that the drop in the amounts had to do with the fact that there were economic stimulus programs in the years from 2020 to 2022 that have now expired.

Hagel said that because of the cuts, the alarm bells should ring for all those responsible for civil protection.

"It would be a nightmare: a huge piece of forest is on fire and no one comes to put it out.

Streets and houses are full due to heavy rain and nobody comes to save the people.” That is why the country must do more here.

Disaster control and civil protection is coordinated at district level in the south-west.

The fire brigade and the German Red Cross, among others, are to benefit from the investments.

The budget committee of the coalition meets this Monday.

The leaders of the Greens and CDU want to decide on additional spending of 340 million euros for political priorities and new positions in the 2023/2024 double budget.

Greens and CDU have already agreed that the debt brake should be observed again.

However, the energy crisis could still thwart the coalition's plans.

Hagel said: "In stormy times, you need a common budget, of measure and mean." One wants to advance digitization, strengthen the business location, invest in education and research, promote innovations and speed up renewable energies.

"But we also have to take a much closer look at and protect those who protect us day after day." dpa