East German left-wing parties warn against cuts in social benefits and investments

The eastern German state parliamentary group leaders of the Left Party have warned the federal government against cuts to social benefits and investments in light of the budget crisis.

At a meeting in Elgersburg in Thuringia on Saturday, Eva von Angern (Saxony-Anhalt), Rico Gebhardt (Saxony), Jeanine Rössler (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Steffen Dittes (Thuringia) and Sebastian Walter (Brandenburg) declared that social cuts were imminent. The economically nonsensical ban on financing necessary investments with loans must be overturned, they said in a statement. "The so-called debt brake is a brake on the future."

Of the 80 billion euros that may be cut from investments, 60 billion euros are likely to be allocated to eastern Germany alone, according to the parliamentary group leaders. Important locations for future technologies would be slowed down, for example in the areas of microelectronics, battery technology, hydrogen, climate protection and the energy transition. "This is putting permanent jobs, infrastructure and industrial jobs at risk and deepening divisions in the country."

What is needed is a socially just budget and financial policy with the absorption of excess profits, a tax on millionaires and a reform of inheritance tax. There needs to be a basic child protection scheme "worthy of the name" and an inflation adjustment. The parliamentary group leaders rejected demands from the FDP and CDU/CSU, for example, for cuts to the citizens' income and changes to early retirement after 45 years of contributions.