BackMiddelberg warns against debt and calls for strict austerity measures, including climate measures

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Die Welt1 hour agoPolitics1 min readGermanyView original

Middelberg warns against debt and calls for strict austerity measures, including climate measures

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Quick Look

The deputy leader of the Union parliamentary group, Mathias Middelberg (CDU), warns of rising national debt and calls for strict austerity measures for the budget discussions in the Bundestag, which do not exclude climate protection programs.
For 2027, he plans to spend 640 billion euros, of which over 200 billion will be financed through new loans.

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Why It Matters

The budget discussions in the Bundestag are imminent, with national debt being a central issue. Middelberg warns that every third euro spent is on credit.

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Ahead of the upcoming budget discussions in the Bundestag, deputy Union parliamentary group leader Mathias Middelberg (CDU) warned against debts and called for strict austerity measures for the coming years, which does not stop at climate measures. "We live beyond our means. Every third euro we spend is on credit," Middelberg told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (Saturday). “We have to save much more strictly,” he demanded.

For 2027, he envisages budget spending of 640 billion euros, including special funds. Of this, more than 200 billion euros alone are to be financed through new loans.

Specifically, he suggests cutting subsidies, for example for climate protection. "Programs labeled 'climate' should not be taboo either. Some of these measures have no verifiable efficiency. Excessive funding for heat pumps or electric buses, for example, simply drives up prices and can even make necessary changes more expensive," he emphasized.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The budget discussions will lead to a public debate about the balance between debt reduction and climate protection.
Likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

Which specific climate protection programs should be cut?
How do other factions react to Middelberg's austerity demands?
What alternatives to borrowing are discussed in the consultations?

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