The economic council of the CDU is urging a stricter debt‑breake system. Economist Lars Feld, chair of the scientific advisory board of a party‑aligned business association, accuses the federal budget of operating like a “shifting station”. He points out that many expenditures are financed through a €500 billion special fund designated for infrastructure, while in reality those are consumption‑type spending. Feld called this practice a “poverty certificate” in an interview with Der Spiegel.
Feld has prepared a ten‑page report, titled “For a Debt Brake with Bite”, which the newspaper reports. The paper is addressed to members of an expert commission drafting reform proposals for the debt‑breake. It calls for tightening the rule to strengthen credibility with market participants and secure long‑term fiscal sustainability.
Wolfgang Steiger, secretary‑general of the economic council, explained that a stringent debt‑breake would not curb investment. Instead, it would enforce a more disciplined budget with clear prioritisation. He warned that loosening the rule would send a fatal signal.