Negotiations surrounding a reform of Germany’s debt brake continue to be marked by tension, with the parliamentary group leader of the Left party, Ines Schwerdtner, calling on the conservative bloc to take shared responsibility for securing the necessary two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.
Schwerdtner responded to remarks from Thorsten Frei, head of the chancellery, who referenced the conservative bloc’s non-cooperation resolution concerning the Left, stating that the resolution was not a challenge posed by her party. For a two-thirds majority, the current coalition government requires support from both the Left and the Green party.
“The Left’s position is clear: political cooperation with the conservative bloc is excluded” Schwerdtner stated. She emphasized fundamental disagreements related to the conservative wing’s policies, which she characterized as eroding the social state and demonstrating limited regard for social justice.
However, Schwerdtner also asserted that if democratic processes are at stake, her party is willing to assume responsibility. She urged the conservative bloc to unite and demonstrate a similar commitment.
Katharina Dröge, parliamentary group leader for the Green party, voiced concerns regarding the ongoing instability within the coalition, telling the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that the conservative wing had previously pledged to reform the debt brake, only for Frei to apparently hinder the work of the debt brake commission. Dröge warned that if the conservative bloc now questions the need for reform, it would represent a broken promise.
Dröge highlighted the debt brake’s negative impact, describing it as an “investment brake” that inhibits improvements to infrastructure, fosters investment stagnation and contributes to a digital deficit. She argued that a permanent investment rule should be enshrined in the constitution to facilitate future-oriented policy and enable necessary investment.
