Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - In the struggle for the narrow financial leeway in the next budget, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann gave his government colleagues little hope. "The corridor will be greatly reduced for the houses anyway, because the municipalities have to be helped," said the Green Prime Minister on Tuesday in Stuttgart. It remains to be seen whether, in view of the consequences of the Ukraine war with inflation and a lack of gas, the previous plans for the double budget for 2023/2024 can be retained. The ministries are all "mentally prepared that things can turn out very differently, as stated in the key data". This includes additional expenditure totaling 890 million euros.
The country must deal with the money that is available to it - this also applies to climate protection and the traffic turnaround. However, he will insist on the federal government that, as promised, the regionalization funds for the expansion of local public transport be increased. That is why he is meeting with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) this Thursday. His hands are tied in the country, he cannot do magic. "I don't have a money shit in the State Department either."
Kretschmann did not rule out that a situation could arise in the course of the year in which new debts would also be necessary. "If a real emergency arises, the debt brake provides for exceptions." But: "We're not in that situation yet." Such measures can only be discussed if such a situation arises.
The head of government reacted cautiously to demands from Green Party leader Pascal Haggenmüller that the federal government must increase the income of the states. Haggenmüller had also demanded that the debt brake be suspended for climate protection. He sees no majorities in favor of reforming the debt brake accordingly, said Kretschmann. That's why he doesn't bother with it.
