Corona-Fund in Hessen: special assets or shadow budget?

What is at the Federal level, the "Bazooka" of Federal Finance Minister, Olaf Scholz, i.e., the distribution of many billions of euros across the country, the consequences of the Corona-crisis, the assets in Hesse, the so-called special. A type of Fund with the title "Hessen's good to secure our future", the should have according to the will of the government of a circumference of twelve billion euros, and entirely out of new debt to be formed. It is a fraction of the black-green coalition with past practice, finally, the "black Zero was to have been in Wiesbaden in the last few years vehemently" praised.

Julian Staib

Political correspondent for Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland with its headquarters in Wiesbaden.

the special Fund to offset up to 2023, the consequences of the Corona-crisis, boost the economy and infrastructure expanded. Alone, 500 million euros were for investments in crisis-ridden companies. From the point of view of the government parties is not a normal supplementary budget is enough to deal with the crisis, as it was decided in March in the state of Hesse, acting unanimously, for over two billion euros already. The coalition to insure, there is a need for more and it a hurry.

Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) said at the launch, the "largest economic crisis after the war" should be understood as a Chance for modernisation. Of a "clear answer to a huge challenge, which can not be delayed," said Finance Minister Michael Boddenberg (CDU) on Friday. You could hold by means of amending the house through the coming months, "shimmy", said the Chairman of the group of the Greens, Mathias Wagner.

The law was recently introduced in the state legislature on Wednesday, the second reading is planned at the end of June in a special session for the vote. Necessary a two-thirds majority in Parliament, according to the Hessian implementing law for the borrowing. This must the diet the the exception of of the as defined in the Constitution a debt brake decide. A Hessian feature, which was decided in 2011 by the CDU-FDP government. However, Black has Green in the Parliament only a very narrow majority – and the Opposition is.

Want to Black-and-processed Green only the coalition agreement?

Since the end of may, the CDU and the greens with the SPD and the FDP are in talks, on Friday met for the fifth Time, on Monday, another Meeting is in order. The SPD and FDP reject, apparently, parts of the assets in principle. Reference is made to the fact that further supplementary budgets are possible. The state government could act with the Fund over the years at the Parliament over, it is also. A rapid agreement is not likely.

At the same time, both sides know that time is of the essence. The economy in the heavily export-dependent country-a broke through the Corona of a crisis, the medium-term consequences of the pandemic are likely to be devastating. Vehemently, the coalition of groups promoted, therefore, last for a compromise. This is to involve the Parliament more than planned. Spending one Million euros from the special Fund required, therefore, the approval of the Committee on budgets, the size of the package could be reduced from twelve to nine billion euros. The previously planned 2.5 billion Euro to support for local authorities could be taken out accordingly, and may later be paid.