Prime ministers call for further reforms

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) welcomes the planned multi-billion euro financial package from the CDU/CSU and SPD, but is calling for further-reaching reforms. "These infrastructure investments only make sense if the brakes on growth are solved first," he told the Rheinische Post newspaper. As an example, he cited a planning acceleration law and the abolition of the right to sue associations.

"Investment in this country must be accelerated," said Kretschmer. "We need to ensure that this country recovers quickly, that it is open to technology, that we invest in the railroads, that we invest in the roads, that we invest in digitalization and that energy is not a scarce, expensive commodity. Only then will Germany be a strong country. And all of this is now possible."

Boris Rhein wants to take a close look

Hesse's head of government Boris Rhein (CDU) announced that the heads of the federal states wanted to take a very close look at what the agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD meant for the federal states at the Minister Presidents' Conference in Berlin on Wednesday. "If there is a clear plan to strengthen Germany in terms of defense and economic policy and the Bundestag comes to an agreement, Hesse will approve the plan in the Bundesrat," Rhein told the Rheinische Post.

More leeway through an amended Basic Law should not, however, lead to the federal and state governments not tackling necessary structural reforms and not prioritizing government spending. "It's about taking joint responsibility in an exceptionally difficult time in global politics," continued Rhein.