As of: February 12, 2024, 5:29 p.m
By: Simon Schröder
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Habeck is on a state tour and is looking for allies in the fight for the debt brake.
Of all places, he found what he was looking for in the CDU.
Berlin – They make an unlikely couple.
Of all people, Robert Habeck finds an ally in the CDU for his plan to reform the debt brake.
Robert Habeck, Economics Minister (The Greens) and Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin (CDU) are forming a black-green alliance to find a solution to the controversial issue of the debt brake.
Wegner found clear words on Monday morning (February 12th), because he too is of the opinion that a reform is absolutely necessary when it comes to the debt brake.
“It is clear that we need investments in future topics.”
Wegner: Investments cannot be financed with the current debt brake
Wegner is of the opinion that it is necessary to reform the debt brake in order to enable “future investments”, quoted
T-Online
.
Money is needed especially for the heating transition and the associated decarbonization of the economy.
The state budgets alone would not be able to cover these investments.
Kai Wegner (CDU, left), Governing Mayor of Berlin and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).
© Monika Skolimowska
After Wegner campaigned for a reform of the debt brake in November, he again emphasized the importance of investments.
In November, Wegner told
Spiegel
: “Anyone who currently has government responsibility and therefore responsibility for setting up budgets knows that the necessary investments simply cannot be financed from normal budgets.”
Habeck can also hope for support among the prime ministers
The debt brake will be a central issue for the upcoming election campaign.
Habeck sees a lot of support for a reform of the debt brake, especially among the country leaders.
There are also supporters among CDU prime ministers.
“I notice that many prime ministers in my party definitely agree with me in this position,” said Wegner.
Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, for example, rejects a reform of the debt brake, but would also be prepared to declare an emergency, as stated in the
Handelsblatt
.
This would mean that the debt brake would be suspended again and further investments would be possible.
Habeck refrained from commenting on the topic of the debt brake and replied to Wegner: “I have nothing to add to that.”
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The debt brake is also a point of contention in the traffic light coalition
In the traffic light coalition, however, things look bleak.
The FDP in particular is reluctant to accept the Economics Minister's proposals.
A reform of the debt brake is also categorically rejected at the federal level with Friedrich Merz.
Since the debt brake is anchored in the Basic Law, it can only be changed with a two-thirds majority, which would make the Union an indispensable partner.
Therefore, reaching an agreement on the debt brake in the current legislative period seems hopeless.
Merz prevents internal party discussions about the debt brake
Wegner is thus clearly positioning himself against the Union and party leader Friedrich Merz.
He had already tried to prevent internal party discussions about the debt brake.
According to the
Tagesschau
, Merz took a decisive stance against Wegner and found clear words in the Bundestag.
Because the decisions about the debt brake “are made here in the German Bundestag and not in the city hall in Berlin,” said Merz.