Dresden (dpa / sn) - The parliamentary group leader of the left in the Saxon state parliament, Rico Gebhardt, has criticized the budget draft of the government coalition. "I would call this agreement a disappointment, but we didn't have any great expectations anyway," said Gebhardt on Thursday. There will be no special fund to enable the Free State to act in the current crisis. Instead, the coalition is selling the state participation in the federal measures, which is due anyway, as a success and adding “a few peanuts” to it.
The coalition factions of the CDU, Greens and SPD had agreed on a final draft for the double budget for 2023 and 2024 on Wednesday. The record budget is said to include 200 million euros, which will be available for cases of hardship during the energy crisis. A further 200 million euros are to be made available for daycare centers, school buildings, culture and the food banks. The budget provides for expenditure of around 50 billion euros for the two years. It is to be decided in the state parliament in December.
The left are demanding a special fund of up to three billion euros to deal with the energy crisis. In addition, families would have to be relieved by lower daycare fees, free lunch in daycare centers and schools and cheaper fares on buses and trains.
