SPD parliamentary group leader, Dirk Wiese, has strongly defended the significant borrowing outlined in Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil’s draft budget. Wiese, in statements to RTL and ntv, emphasized the necessity of the spending, framing it as an investment in future generations. He utilized an analogy, explaining, “If the house is falling apart, if it’s raining inside, if the roof is leaking, you don’t economize, you invest in the house.
The government, according to Wiese, is prioritizing funds for infrastructure projects including roads, railways and social facilities.
He dismissed calls from the opposition Union parties for Klingbeil to propose spending cuts, highlighting Klingbeil’s previous efforts to curtail larger expenditure requests during budget negotiations. Wiese stated that numerous “significant spending wishes – particularly from Union ministries” were ultimately deemed financially unsustainable and unpresentable.
Furthermore, Wiese voiced his opposition to abandoning the reduced value-added tax rate for the hospitality sector. He argued that maintaining the lower rate is beneficial, providing a “perspective for the future, especially for small, owner-managed restaurants”. He specifically noted the escalating energy costs that have disproportionately impacted businesses, particularly in rural areas.