A senior official of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Wolfgang Kubicki, has rejected the party’s approval for the special fund agreed upon by the Union and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during the exploratory talks to boost the German economy.
“I can say, we do not agree to a special fund for investments” Kubicki told the TV channel ‘Welt’ after the presentation of the package by the party leaders Friedrich Merz (CDU), Markus Söder (CSU), Lars Klingbeil (SPD) and Saskia Esken (SPD) on Tuesday evening.
“There is no need for action” he said. “This can be done in the new Bundestag. We must see, the old Bundestag is actually no longer elected.” The FDP is not represented in the newly elected Bundestag, according to the preliminary results of the federal election.
Kubicki emphasizes that the new Bundestag should make the decision, as it will convene on March 25. “I have a parliamentary feeling that the old Bundestag still has to decide on sums of a billion” Kubicki said. The planned special fund is expected to be around 500 billion euros, with reports of a second special fund of a similar size previously mentioned. The Union and the SPD now plan to largely exempt defense spending from the debt brake.
While Kubicki agrees with the leaders of the Union and the SPD that everything should be done to make the Bundeswehr strong again, he sees legal concerns regarding the special fund for infrastructure. “This is a very complex process. And above all, the question must be clarified, how can parliamentary law be ensured? Because if such a special fund is first introduced, the government can do what it wants” he said. Special funds are also subject to the control of the Bundestag, the Federal Audit Office and the courts.