Budget Clash: Sahra's Alliance Demands Billion-Euro Turnaround in Saxony
Saxony's BSW proposes a plan for modifications - Saxony's BSW proposes a bundle of alterations
Let's get real, folks. The Alliance for Progress, under the guidance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), is bringing a hard-hitting, billion-euro package to the Saxon budget debate table. Sabine Zimmermann, the ol' cat who's led the party, spoke up in Dresden recently, saying the BSW is about change, and it ain't enough to just slap some patchwork on the budget. The Saxon government's failing to get with the program, she reckons.
Zimmermann returned from a three-month illness, and apparently, nada's changed in the government. "Same shit, different day," she said, just summing it up. Looking at their draft budget, you can tell they're all about saving pennies, not investing in our future.
In the BSW's ambitious demand package, around half a billion euros is earmarked for revamping rural life. The municipalities are strapped for cash, so community enhancement initiatives are on hold. Everyone deserves top-notch public transit, cultural events in the countryside, and accessible services, Zimmermann argues.
Labeling the second part of the demand package as "functional state, thriving economy," Zimmermann suggests inaugurating a regional grant program for small businesses and kickstarting infrastructure developments to bolster the judiciary, police presence, and fire department response.
Last but not least, they're focusing on essential public services, like health, care, and childcare. To get things hopping, the state should chip in for rising kindergarten fees, a step towards free kindergarten in the near future. As Zimmermann puts it, "Cuts alone aren't the answer."
She's also throwing around some financing ideas. Unlocking the debt brake and tapping into the federal special fund are options on the table. On top of that, the Saxon Reconstruction Bank should be given the authority to lend to municipalities, with the state covering loan repayments and interest.
Zimmermann believes the budget's final approval hinges on how much the minority coalition concedes. The CDU-SPD crew will present their budget proposal later in the day. "No change if we stick to this draft budget in Saxony," Zimmermann reiterated.
The Saxon CDU-SPD minority government is lacking a solid majority in parliament with ten missing votes. The BSW, Greens, and Left, each with 15, 7, and 6 representatives, respectively, aren't ready to greenlight the 2025/2026 draft budget without questioning a few aspects, specifically the relaxation of the debt brake, which so far the CDU has resisted. The SPD has been pushing for more flexible budgeting in the past.
- Budget Clash
- Alliance for Progress led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW)
- Sabine Zimmermann
- CDU
- SPD
- Dresden
- Saxony
- Dual Budget
- Future
- The Alliance for Progress, led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), is demanding a billion-euro turnaround in the Saxon budget, bringing a hard-hitting package to the debate table.
- Sabine Zimmermann, BSW leader, has criticized the Saxon government for failure to invest in the future, stating that the draft budget focuses on saving pennies instead.
- In the BSW's demand package, half a billion euros is allocated for rural life revamping, with emphasis on public transit, cultural events, and accessible services.
- Zimmermann also proposes a regional grant program for small businesses, infrastructure developments, and improvements in the judiciary, police presence, and fire department response. Focusing on essential public services like health, care, and childcare, the state should chip in for rising kindergarten fees, a step towards free kindergarten in the near future.
- The approval of the Saxony budget depends on the concessions made by the minority CDU-SPD coalition, with the CDU resisting the relaxation of the debt brake so far, a move that the BSW, Greens, and Left are questioning.
