Normally, the request for such over-budget expenditure is brought to the attention of the Budget Committee. Now the Ministry of Finance is bypassing the responsible committee, even though it has it on next week's agenda. The Bundestag will now be informed subsequently in a printed matter. With this emergency measure, the billions are released immediately – not by parliament, but by the government.
As the Ministry of Finance points out, the Ministry of Labor estimates that the budget for citizens' benefit lasts until November 7th. The committee was informed of the intended consent at the end of October, but it has not yet discussed it. The Bundestag's budget politicians actually wanted to deal with it this Thursday. But the collapse of the coalition disrupted this plan. The planned expenditure for citizens' money has now risen to 29.7 billion euros. In addition, there are rising costs of accommodation: 12.4 instead of 11.1 billion euros. The adjustments should actually be made through a supplementary budget.
It was probably one of Reuter's last letters in his position. The Ministry of Finance confirmed in the afternoon that the new landlord Jörg Kukies (SPD) was sending him into temporary retirement. The economist is considered one of the authors of Christian Lindner's (FDP) economic transition paper. The FDP politician had brought him to his side to discuss fundamental questions. At the beginning of 2024 he made him State Secretary. His successor is Steffen Meyer. He was already a close comrade-in-arms of Kukies in the Chancellery. According to the information, Lindner's State Secretary Steffen Saebisch should organize the transition in the ministry for a short time before he also has to leave the house.
