A growing criticism within the CDU/CSU faction is emerging in the wake of the recent decisions made by the Minister Presidents’ Conference, with regards to the handling of the billions in the infrastructure special fund.
Former faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus, now the digital policy spokesperson for the Union faction, has expressed his disapproval of the distribution of the funds, stating that a distribution based on political influence, party proportion and regional criteria is misguided. He emphasized the importance of a precise analysis of the investment needs, defining projects and prioritizing them, in the spirit of a modern, capable state.
The recent meeting between the Minister Presidents and the Chancellor had resulted in a decision to distribute the 100 billion euros, allocated to the states from the 500 billion euro special fund, in a lump sum, without the need for individual project approvals from the federal government. The use of the funds was also expanded to include areas such as sports, culture, internal security, water management and housing construction.
Haushaltspolitiker Yannick Bury, a member of the Young Group in the faction, is calling for a clear definition of what expenses are actually considered infrastructure investments, stating that the current lack of clarity poses the risk of using the special fund to finance tasks that are actually the responsibility of the federal government and the states.