In a move that could potentially stall the German government’s plans for a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund, a group of young CDU lawmakers has threatened to reject the bill in its current form. The group, comprising 18 parliamentarians aged 35 or younger, is led by Pascal Reddig, who expressed concerns over the lack of clear guidelines on how the funds would be allocated.
“We demand improvements, particularly in the matter of what the money can be used for” Reddig said in an interview with the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft. “This special fund must not become a blank check for untargeted spending and plugging of budget holes.”
The group’s concerns echo those of Johannes Winkel, the head of the Junge Union, who had earlier criticized the government’s plans to take on 850 billion euros in debt by 2029, calling it “breath-taking” and a “bet on the cost of the young generation.”
The proposed infrastructure fund, which is part of the government’s financial package, has been met with skepticism by the young lawmakers, who are calling for more transparency and accountability in the allocation of the funds. The group’s stance could potentially delay the passage of the bill, which is seen as a crucial step in the government’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality and upgrade the country’s infrastructure.