An Thursday afternoon it looks as if the fiscal tensions in the traffic light coalition have miraculously evaporated. The Federal Press Conference announces the appearance of Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and his State Secretary for the Budget Werner Gatzer for the middle of next week. After the cabinet meeting, they would answer questions about the 2024 federal budget and the financial planning up to 2027.
Everything is different in the evening: The FDP politician announces that he will postpone the benchmark decision: “We will have to talk about financial realities together again in the cabinet,” said Lindner of the German Press Agency.
He expressly does not name a new point in time. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) downplayed the importance of Lindner’s decision. In recent years, the presentation of the benchmarks “has been repeatedly postponed, even when I was finance minister,” he said. “It never really caused a lot of excitement, not now either, at least not for me.”
Habeck’s heating billions
It has long been known that there is a large gap between the registrations of Lindner’s cabinet colleagues and the financing options within the framework of the debt rule. The additional requests should total 70 billion euros. A pointed exchange of letters between Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Lindner also became known.
The vice chancellor, who also wrote expressly on behalf of his Green minister colleagues, insisted on the political priorities of the traffic light and brought revenue improvements into play, the FDP minister referred to the Basic Law and ruled out tax increases. A few days ago, after the cabinet meeting in Meseberg, Lindner reported that the first round of executive talks was over. He now wants to consolidate the stand. Apparently he saw no chance of presenting realistic benchmark figures that could be combined on this basis.
It is known that not least Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) insist on a high second order. According to reports, it stuck with them until the end. There should also continue to be a dissent with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD). Unlike in previous years, developments on the capital market are not providing additional leeway. On the contrary. Rising interest rates are a burden. Possible additional tax revenues cannot compensate for this.
On the day that Lindner postponed the submission of the key figures, Habeck had announced billions in aid for the heating replacement. He denied on Friday that there was a problem. He agrees with the Federal Minister of Finance that it is not a drama to postpone the benchmark decision. There’s still time. “And it’s also not the case that – at least from my house – the high demands are the cause.” His announcement from the day before referred to the Building Energy Act. There is money for this in the climate and transformation fund. Now the debt brake will be “re-instated”. This is a challenge that affects all ministries equally.