A senior official of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has publicly criticized the federal government’s handling of a special fund and the allocation of resources for road construction. Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, described recent budget shifts as “unfathomable, immediate and in every respect counterproductive.
Wüst’s remarks, delivered in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, highlighted a growing disconnect between the intended purpose of the substantial €500 billion special fund and the reality of infrastructure development. He emphasized that citizens reasonably expect the fund to result in increased construction activity, a expectation that he cautioned against disappointing.
The criticism stems from reports indicating a shortfall of approximately €15 billion for the construction and renovation of highways and federal roads, despite the existence of the designated special fund. This deficit jeopardizes the financing of previously planned “gap-closing” projects. Furthermore, significant adjustments are occurring within the transport budget, with a projected decrease of €10 billion in core funding next year, falling from approximately €38.3 billion to €28.2 billion and further reductions planned through 2029. These adjustments involve postponing numerous planned investments into the special fund.
Wüst characterized these planned shifts as rendering “the sense and purpose of the special fund absurd” warning of a negative signal for Germany’s economic competitiveness and potential, unforeseen consequences. He specifically noted that proposed budget cuts in North Rhine-Westphalia could jeopardize dozens of planned highway and federal road projects, which have already undergone years of complex planning processes. Abandoning these projects, he asserted, would be a significant blow to German industry. He further added that terminating these projects after extensive planning would constitute a waste of taxpayer money and create renewed investment bottlenecks, demanding a swift and fundamental correction of current planning.