Green Party Criticizes Budget Plans, Accuses Minister of ‘Haushaltstrickserei’
The Green Party has sharply criticized the budget plans of Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, accusing him of “Haushaltstrickserei” or budget tricks. The party’s co-leader, Felix Banaszak, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the government’s announcement of large investments in climate and infrastructure, only to cut them later, is a “trick” to balance the budget.
The Greens had agreed to the establishment of a special fund for infrastructure and climate protection, worth 500 billion euros, on the condition that the funds would be used to make additional investments in Germany, not just to balance the budget. However, the party now has serious doubts about the government’s intentions.
The Greens suspect that Klingbeil plans to use the funds for general budget purposes, rather than making the additional investments promised. Banaszak warned that without investments in climate protection, infrastructure and education, Germany will not remain competitive.
The party’s co-leader called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finance Minister Klingbeil to “not cut at the future.” The Greens had agreed to the special fund, with the understanding that 400 billion euros would be spent on infrastructure and 100 billion on climate protection.
The Finance Ministry, however, rejected the criticism, stating that the criticism is unfounded. A spokesperson explained that between 2025 and 2034, 10 billion euros per year would be transferred from the special fund to the Climate and Transformation Fund, which would be used for climate protection measures. The ministry acknowledged that some programs would be shifted from the federal budget to the special fund to secure their long-term financing, but this would only account for a small part of the 10 billion euros in additional revenue.