The CDU’s party congress has ruled that the coalition should not pursue further liberalisation of the debt brake, a move that has sparked sharp criticism from its coalition partner, the SPD. SPD parliamentarian Ralf Stegner told the “Tagesspiegel” that the coalition agreement already calls for a “fundamental modernisation of the debt brake so that it remains a tool, not a brake on the future”.
In a reference to the black‑red coalition pact, Stegner wrote, “Those who can read are clearly at an advantage”. He urged the CDU to honour the agreements, noting, “Pacta sunt servanda: contracts must be kept. It is remarkable that, as a social democrat, one must remind not only the Junge Union but the CDU as a whole of this conservative principle”.
The former SPD vice‑premier added that the coalition deal does not aim to tighten the constitutional debt rule or roll back the coalition’s agreed investment package.
On the other side, Gitta Connemann, chairwoman of the Middle‑Class Association of the CDU and CSU (MIT), counter‑argued that the special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality has opened up additional fiscal space. “Now we must say: prioritise spending” she said. Connemann clarified that her party’s position is limited to the previously approved opening of the debt rule and welcomed the CDU’s decision.
The parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs also spoke to the “Tagesspiegel”. “The debt brake is not an end in itself; it is a promise to future generations” she said. “We want to give children tomorrow room for shaping a future that is not defined only by interest burdens”. Accordingly, she called for restraint in the so‑called “uncovered checks”.
