A senior government official in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mona Neubaur of the Green party, has called for a reform of the debt rules in Germany in the face of global challenges. According to an interview with the “Rheinische Post”, she said that the US and China are already deviating from market economy rules by injecting billions into their economies and questioned whether Germany would continue to adhere to outdated debt rules, risking the loss of future prospects for people and companies.
Neubaur emphasized the need for Germany to rapidly increase its defense capabilities, stating that the current state of the world and infrastructure were well-known, but the recent realization of the Union’s government was that the country needed to take action. She criticized the Union for failing to provide solutions for 20 years, including 16 years in government.
The official also called for the Union to explain how it would address the issue of generational fairness in debt repayment and how it would manage the budget in the future, suggesting that this might involve unpleasant cuts. When asked if a reform of the citizen’s basic income could be a solution, Neubaur clarified that she was not involved in coalition negotiations and that the responsibility lay with Friedrich Merz, who would need to discuss the matter with the Social Democrats. She stressed that the solution could not be to simply cut at the expense of the weak.