Berlin parliament passes double budget of 76 billion euros
CDU criticizes “script for tragedy”
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Berlin parliament passes double budget of 76 billion euros
In 2022/2023, the Berlin budget will have a record volume of more than 76 billion euros. Among other things, the red-green-red government will increase the number of police and fire brigade staff – and push ahead with the construction of apartments and schools.
The Berlin Parliament has passed the state budget for 2022/23. It has a total volume of more than 76 billion euros. On Thursday evening, the House of Representatives approved the budget law, which regulates the finances of the state of Berlin for 2022 and 2023, with its red-green-red majority.
CDU, FDP and AfD vote against it. “Never before has so much been invested in this city,” said Finance Senator Daniel Wesener on Thursday at the last plenary session before the summer break. 38.7 billion euros are planned for 2022, and 37.9 billion euros for 2023.
11 billion euros for staff
A significant part of the funds is planned for personnel expenses: in both years it is more than 11 billion euros. The signs point to further job expansion in the public sector, for example in the police and fire brigade.
The country also wants to make progress in housing construction. Berlin wants to complete a total of 100,000 new apartments by the end of 2026. In each of the two years of the two-year budget, 750 million euros are earmarked for housing subsidies. The Berlin School Building Offensive (BSO) should also make progress. The budget law provides around 700 million euros per year for school construction.
In the event that energy prices continue to rise, a reserve of 380 million euros has been planned for correspondingly higher expenditure by the authorities. This includes 50 million euros for the so-called emergency plan. The funds are intended to help Berliners who, for example, can no longer pay their electricity bills. In addition, 650 million euros per attack are estimated for the accommodation, care and integration of refugees – in particular for British war refugees. The federal government covers most of this sum.
SPD: “You don’t save in a crisis”
The Berlin House of Representatives began its deliberations on Thursday with a general debate. While the opposition parties criticized the draft budget as unbalanced, coalition representatives emphasized the social responsibility that government factions would assume with this budget.
SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh said at the beginning that the draft budget follows the strategy of an affordable and socially sustainable city. Invested to relieve families. Billions would be invested in schools and in public transport. Also police, fire brigade and hospitals from the household. “You don’t save in a crisis”, the principle remains.
CDU: “Script for a tragedy”
The CDU parliamentary group leader Kai Wegner, on the other hand, called the draft the “script for a tragedy”. As an example, he cited the housing sector, where too few apartments were still being built and rents would continue to rise. When it comes to mobility, the coalition is not creating any new offers for more buses and trains to advance the traffic turnaround. There is a shortage of teachers and school places in the schools.
Green faction leader Silke Gebel contradicted the CDU faction leader. Billions would be invested in the city, for example in an additional on-call bus service for local transport. The coalition has also planned large sums to cushion the hardship caused by the corona pandemics.
Chairwoman Anne Helm defended the budget for the left-wing faction. It was created in uncertain times and certainly does not fulfill every wish. But he creates provisions for future crises and, above all, mitigates the harshest consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
FDP criticizes Giffey
The FDP parliamentary group leader Sebastian Czaja sharply criticized the governing mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD). You have lost your authority as head of government and can no longer assert yourself in the coalition. He was alluding to her poor re-election result as SPD state leader at the weekend.
AfD faction leader Kristin Brinker also accused the SPD, the Greens and the Left of failure in budgetary policy. Among other things, she criticized the fact that Berlin puts money into development aid projects. In addition, accommodation and meals would take place for asylum seekers, some of whom were illegally staying in Germany.
Giffey defends government against criticism
The Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) takes the floor in the debate for the Senate. She defended her government against all criticism and drew a positive balance for the first six months in office. This first time in the Senate was under the impression of the consequences of the war.
“We have shown that Berlin can handle a crisis and that Berlin is in top form at times,” the head of government continued. It is not a matter of course to accommodate 70,000 Ukrainian refugees without occupying a single gym. Giffey also defended her renewed alliance with the housing industry. The agreements made there on tenant protection go far beyond what is available in other federal states.
Broadcast: rbb24 Abenschau, June 23, 2022, 7:30 p.m