As of: February 2, 2024, 12:20 p.m
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Discussions are already underway for the 2025 budget - and they are unlikely to be easy either.
There is once again a gap in the core budget alone in the double-digit billion range.
© Ann-Marie Utz/dpa
It was a long struggle within the traffic lights.
But now the budget for the current year has been approved.
Berlin - The Bundestag has approved the hotly contested budget for the current year.
In compliance with the debt brake, new loans amounting to around 39 billion euros are planned.
The law still has to pass the Federal Council.
However, the state chamber is not currently dealing with the budget financing law and thus the end of agricultural diesel subsidies.
Key points of the budget
The 2024 budget plans to spend 476.8 billion euros - and initially new loans of around 39 billion euros.
If it stays that way, the debt brake would be adhered to for the first time since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, because the regulation in the Basic Law allows a certain amount of leeway in the event of poor economic expectations.
The Federal Council is also expected to give the green light for the budget later today.
The federal budget for 2024 presented the traffic light coalition with a particular challenge.
After the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling, billions of dollars in holes suddenly had to be plugged in the core budget and in the climate and transformation fund shortly before the end of the year.
Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) has by far the largest budget with around 175.6 billion euros - large parts of which go to pension insurance, as well as expenses for citizens' money, for example.
A total of 70.5 billion euros is planned to be invested - for example in the rail network and roads.
The defense budget is around 52 billion euros, plus billions in funds from the special fund for the Bundeswehr.
The Federal Council does not have to agree to the law, but could object and appeal to the mediation committee.
However, in many states there are coalition governments with traffic light parties - and if a state government disagrees, the state must abstain from the Bundesrat or cannot agree.
Budget poll: Majority in favor of spending cuts
According to the ZDF “Politbarometer”, a majority of citizens are in favor of spending cuts in the federal budget if there is not enough money.
58 percent of those surveyed were of this opinion, as the broadcaster announced.
20 percent were in favor of further debt and 13 percent in favor of tax increases.
dpa