The Economic Council of the CDU is demanding a stricter debt brake. Economist Lars Feld, who chairs the scientific advisory board of a party‑aligned business association, accuses the federal budget of being a “shuttle‑station” for debt. He points out that the €500 billion special fund for infrastructure is used to finance a range of spending that is, in reality, consumption spending. “That’s a poverty testimony” Feld told “Der Spiegel”.
Feld has written a ten‑page report-titled “For a Debt Brake with Bite”-about which “Der Spiegel” reported. The paper is addressed to members of an expert commission drafting proposals for a debt‑brake reform. It argues that the goal should be a tightening of the debt brake in order to strengthen credibility with market participants and to secure long‑term fiscal sustainability.
Wolfgang Steiger, secretary‑general of the Economic Council, said that a sharp debt brake does not prevent investments; instead, it forces “disciplined fiscal management with clear prioritisation”. He warned that easing the rule would send a “fatal signal”.
