Will the billions for the electricity tax still be found?

When the 2.06 meter tall Labor Minister Alexander Schweitzer stands in front of the Budget Committee, he stands out. Not just because it's the biggest, but also the new one. For the first time, the Labor Minister has to explain his budget, which he inherited from his predecessor Bärbel Bas, at the most important meeting of the Budget Committee.

He brought wine from the southern Palatinate, a gift for the budget politicians, he says. Its budget accounts for more than a third of the total federal budget. Something that is criticized every year is why the state has such high social spending and there may be a lack of money for other projects. Schweitzer says he is prepared for the meeting. But yes, it was just his first time.

Looking for more money to cut electricity taxes

This time there is also a first for budget politicians. In the end, it's not just about billions of dollars that are being fought for, but rather small projects should be made possible. But now everyone's eyes are on this meeting. Can the billions be found here to fulfill the Chancellor's promise to finance an electricity tax cut? What scope is there anyway?

Suddenly it's about more than just small numbers and items in budgets. It's about promises that the Chancellor made when cutting electricity taxes and was unable to keep them. It's about anger in the Union faction. Because she is dissatisfied with the results of the budget negotiations so far and would have liked more for Union projects.

Threats are being made behind closed doors that they may not want to agree to the federal budget as a whole. But it is also about trust in how the federal government handles taxpayers' money.

Struggle for sovereignty of interpretation

This session, in which the 2027 federal budget is supposed to be finalized, is suddenly charged with importance. During the breaks there is talk about winners and losers, who negotiated better with the coalition leadership in order to push through their projects.

It is unlikely that billions will be found here at the meeting that night. Small items at most, amounts in the millions. At the end of the meeting there is a budget that is the largest in the Federal Republic to date, with around 560.9 billion euros - and the question is still: Why can't less than one percent of that, i.e. five billion, be found for the electricity tax reduction.

The top government agrees that solutions must be discussed by the coalition committee next Tuesday. In the ARD Tagesthemen, CDU politician Paul Ziemiak says: "I am confident that, if everyone wants to, we can start to reduce the electricity tax." So can it work? He is cautiously optimistic. A feeling he shares with the budget politicians that night.