Budget Delay Looms as Uncertainties Persist
The much-anticipated final consultation on the federal budget for 2024 seems to be hit with yet another delay. As reported by Rheinische Post on Thursday, citing coalition sources, the final vote is no longer expected to take place in the first week of the new session, which begins on January 15, 2024.
The reason behind this delay is the presence of legal uncertainties, necessitating a scheduling of a new expert hearing first. The subsequent regular session week would be from January 29 to February 2, 2024. However, earlier, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had announced that parliament could hold a final debate on the 2024 budget during the first sitting week of the new year.
CDU/CSU parliamentary secretary Thorsten Frei criticized this development. In a conversation with Rheinische Post, he stated, "Less than 24 hours after the government's declaration, the traffic light coalition is again exploiting its chancellor's timetable." Frei further added, "The repeated trickery of the traffic light coalition necessitates another expert hearing, and the sleight of hand players must be closely scrutinized. This is the responsibility of parliament."
Additional Perspectives:
Germany, currently operating under a provisional budget, is experiencing delays due to the complexities surrounding the final budget vote. This situation necessitates an updated analysis of the impact on various sectors and a review of initial financial projections for 2024, which were based on the original budget schedule.
