The Left Stands Firm: A Third Free Kindergarten Year in Thuringia's Double Budget is Non-Negotiable
Prerequisite for Dual Budget Implementation: Complimentary Preschool Year - Conditional doubling of budget for provision of free childcare annually
In the quest for the Double Budget 2026/2027, the Thuringia Left faction has made it clear that a third free kindergarten year is a non-negotiable condition. "We've got our eyes on the state government to keep their word," stated Left education politician, Ulrike Grosse-Roethig of the German Press Agency in Erfurt. "The free kindergarten year, which was part of the budget agreement for 2025, needs to be included in the Double Budget from 2026 onwards, as promised." This stance is crucial for the Left faction's proceeding in the parliamentary process.
Balancing Act in Thuringia
Currently, the last two years of kindergarten in Thuringia are tuition-free. The Left persists in wanting to introduce a third free kindergarten year. Critics argue that this mainly benefits affluent parents, as kindergarten fees are often based on parental income. nonetheless, free education has long been a goal for the Left.
The current government is working on an outline for the approaching Double Budget 2026/2027. The coalition lacks a majority in parliament and is stuck in a stalemate with the Left and AfD opposition. The budget for 2025 was passed with the support of the Left faction. As part of the compromise, the introduction of a third free kindergarten year in 2027 was agreed upon.
As of now, the Ministry of Education's budget preparation process is still in progress. A spokesman revealed that the expected share of the federal infrastructure special asset hasn't been factored in yet. Whether the third free kindergarten year will be in the Double Budget draft remains unclear at this point. "The focus of the discussions within the state government is to adhere to the financial ministry's given framework values and the consolidation requirements," the ministry stated.
No Hearing on the Horizon
For a third free kindergarten year to become a reality, the kindergarten law would also need to be amended. The Left faction has already submitted a bill for the state parliament, which is stuck in the education committee. According to Grosse-Roethig, there hasn't been a hearing initiated yet. "If the state government intends to disregard agreements from the 2025 budget, then that raises serious questions about the possibility of reaching an agreement for the Double Budget 2026/27," Grosse-Roethig stated.
A Ministry of Education spokesman explained that regardless of the question of fee-free kindergarten, a revision of the kindergarten law is being planned "to prepare for the introduction of language tests in Thuringian kindergartens."
- Double Budget
- The Left
- Erfurt
- Ulrike Grosse-Roethig
- State Parliament
- CDU
- SPD
- Education
- German Press Agency
- Thuringia
- The Left in Thuringia maintains a hardline stance; they consider the implementation of a third free kindergarten year a non-negotiable condition in the Double Budget 2026/2027, as it was agreed upon in the budget agreement for 2025.
- The ongoing debates about the Double Budget involve discussions on policy-and-legislation related to education, particularly the inclusion of a third free kindergarten year, as well as politics, with the Left faction pressing the state government for adherence to their promises.
