Hamburg dares to restart: debt brake loosens investments!
Hamburg dares to restart: debt brake loosens investments!
Hamburg, Deutschland - in Hamburg on Wednesday an important step towards a loosening of the debt brake took place. The Hamburg Citizenship voted in the first reading for a constitutional change that will enable the federal state to expand its annual structural freedom of new debt to up to 0.35 percent of German GDP. This project was advocated with 104 votes, while only 10 MPs voted. The approval was not only from the red-green coalition, but also from the CDU and the left. Only the AfD rejected the decision. With this decision, the necessary two-thirds majority for the constitutional change was achieved, which will be voted again in a second reading on July 16, as [ndr] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/erster-schritt-zur-lockung-der-guldenbremse-in-hamburg
The planned changes will make Hamburg possible to use the existing financial scope for investments. Financial Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) was pleased with the consensus achieved and emphasized that with the new possibilities, up to 400 million euros per year are available for investments in research, education and technology transfer. In addition, there are 220 million euros annually over a period of twelve years, which are to be provided from a special fund, which is comprehensive from a 100 billion euros. Dressel wants to make sure that these funds are used sensibly.
a common goal
The agreement on the loosening of the debt brake is no coincidence. This measure became necessary after the German Bundestag decided at the end of March. This change enables federal states to make annual structural borrowing regardless of the economic overall situation, which is of great importance for Hamburg. The mayor of Hamburg, together with the factions of the CDU, SPD and the Greens, made it clear that the investments should not be used for short -term, consumer measures, but should design the future of the city, reports the CDU Hamburg .
"With the necessary clarity in the rules, we also secure the financial ability of Hamburg," said Thilo Kleibauer (CDU). Milan Pein (SPD) added that the expansion of the infrastructure in the coming years was of crucial scope. In this context, the green Dennis Paustian-Döscher emphasized the importance of putting climate protection and education at the center of the investments. "We have to find a balance between necessary investments and financial responsibility," says Paustian-Döscher.
A look into the future
The discussion about debt brake has made many waves in the political landscape. You are happy to see critics as an investment brake in times when massive investments in the public infrastructure are necessary. Scientists like Prof. Dr. Salvatore Barbaro points out that the debt brake had questionable effects in the context of the past few years. The introduction did not lead to a recognizable increase in investments compared to the European average. In addition, there was a certain skepticism with regard to the positive effects of these restrictions on the public sector, as in DetailsOrt Hamburg, Deutschland Quellen