Thread by @PGolka

Germany is when the government announces >10% budget cuts and there is no critical debate, let alone real resistance. The extent to which austerity is depoliticized in 🇩🇪 is equally singular and dangerous. #stopthecuts

If you look at the press release, it’s truly awful.
👉 cuts described as a way to ensure „fiscal capacity“ - even though they are the exact opposite.
👉 cuts as „clear signal“ in fight against inflation. As if unemployed scientists reduce gas prices.

bundesregierung.de/breg-de/suche/…

👉 Touting „record investments“ but pointing out they are mostly de-risking private investments. Thus increasing corporate welfare while we urgently need better public infrastructure.
👉 All this described as ensuring „permanent growth“ when it’s literally procyclic austerity.

Forgive me the cynical pun, but this really is cancel culture. A culture that enables canceling the basis of a progressive and reflexive society by framing it as future- and stability-orientation - echoed or ignored by media. These cuts are deeply political and must be resisted.

The fact that all of this happens under the watch of a social democrat chancellor who, as former finance minister, should know all the ways of creative fiscal compliance is as depressing as it points to an utter lack of leadership.
/End rant

Bonus: #Lindner says he „prioritizes supporting talent“ when they are literally cutting talent support programs such as #DAAD.

While #FDP is responsible for the cuts, #SPD is accountable. Scholz has various tactical/technical and strategic tools at hand - time to use them!

I quickly checked media reporting for 4 days following budget announcement. Most large media reported on it, but I did not find any critical comments. No article acknowledged the severity of >10% cuts.
Only critical article was interview w/ trade unionist: zeit.de/news/2022-07/0…

Important to add that these cuts are not yet final as the parliament needs to approve the federal budget. There are *many* MPs, especially of @Die_Gruenen & @spdbt, who are opposed to such nonsensical cuts. Let's give them the confidence to #stopthecuts.

Also no debate over distribution of cuts.
👉 BMBF budget actually increases, but legitimates cuts to soc & climate sci via cuts.
👉 Exceptional cuts at BMG.
👉 Considerable cuts also at AA, BMZ, BMI. Why?
👉 Debt expenditure ↗️ due to past gov lack of taking debt at >0% yield.

To all those in favour of strengthening the #Bahn and a #Verkehrswende in general. With a 3% budget cut to BMVI in times of *massively* increasing construction costs, it's not gonna happen. The 2023 budget is gonna lock in the status quo. This must be opposed *now*!

I also did not find public information how ministries plan to shift their expenditure internally. BMBF cuts to social & climate science while budget increases is case in point. This needs to change. Democracy needs full transparency.
CC: @DezernatZ, @fiscalfuture_de

@DezernatZ @fiscalfuture_de More bad news will be coming next year as #Lindner is already planning a further 11.5% cut in public #investment in addition to 5% budget cut. In the middle of unprecedented crisis, the FDP is doing everything to erode state capacity. The price will be paid by future generations.

(The above tweet doesn't tell the full story: investment 2024+ will be kept more or less stable, as investment growth 2023 is due to one-off loans to IMF and health insurers. So public investment will be stable nominally, declining real. Shocking enough in these multiple crises.)

As neither I nor anyone I asked has been able to find 2023 intra-ministerial budget plans, the great team @fragdenstaat submitted an FoI request to @BMF_Bund. Thanks so much! It's absolutely essential these plans are public *before* the parliament debate.

https://twitter.com/fragdenstaat/status/1549049642943254528?s=20&t=bdEoZ0hItklhQRYfNs483g

After lots of digging, we've found out that the intra-ministry budgets are submitted to parliament on Aug 5th, when they will likely be published. Still this leaves only 1 month for public debate (in holiday season) before the hearing starts. This should be done better.