SPD Leader Saskia Esken Demands Systematic Reform of the Debt Brake After Recent Signals from the Union.
“Not enough to just change a few numbers in the debt brake, we need a fundamental decision to treat consumer spending differently from investments in the future,” said Esken to the New Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). “We must systemically reform the debt brake, or it will become a future brake.”
Esken reacted to recent statements by CDU leader and Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, who said in the ARD show “Maischberger” that the problems can be solved without changing the debt brake, as he is learned to never say no in politics. However, today, he is convinced that the problems can be solved without a change.
Esken strongly disagreed, saying: “If we say we’ve let our infrastructure decay and now we have no money for education, we’re putting the future chances of the young people at risk. We must tackle many mega-challenges at the same time and can’t say first we’ll modernize the Bundeswehr and then everything else.”
The lack of differentiation between consumer spending and investments in the debt brake is “the construction flaw of the debt brake, and that must be corrected.”
While the Union is also focusing on cuts, Esken defended the promise by Chancellor and SPD leader Olaf Scholz, stating that no cuts are needed. “It’s not pain and sacrifice that’s the right way to boost competitiveness, but focusing on our strengths: innovation, infrastructure, social partnership, and cohesion,” said the SPD leader. “The consensual way has always been the way to success, and we should not abandon it.”
We need to strengthen families, make it easier for women to work, better and more justly shape education, and much more. This can be achieved. And it doesn’t require pain and either-or choices. Not every medicine has to be bitter.”
(Eoptimized translation)