The Saxon SPD has criticized the curtailment of planned spending by the Ministry of Finance. Party leader Hennig Homann spoke on Monday of a "completely undifferentiated lawnmower approach" by Finance Minister Hartmut Vorjohann (CDU). His approach would lead to all-day programs, school social work and projects in the field of democracy as well as child and youth work being called into question. The move had not been agreed with the coalition partners.
The "Leipziger Volkszeitung" newspaper reported last Friday on a letter from the Minister of Finance to the ministries of the Free State. The background to this is falling tax revenues. For this reason, only part of the so-called commitment appropriations - financing commitments for the coming years that will take effect this year - are to be released. There is already talk of a "budget freeze light" in the coalition.
According to the May tax estimate, Saxony can expect tax revenues of 19.1 billion euros this year. That is 385 million euros less than estimated. Lower revenues are also expected in 2025 and 2026 than previously assumed.
"What we will get now is total uncertainty from the teachers' rooms to the initiative landscape," said Homann. It is completely unclear how this is to be implemented. He cited school social work as an example. Approval notices would be issued for school years and not for calendar years. "Either you do the whole application process twice, which would be bureaucratic madness. Or the funding notices cannot be issued at all." With the start of the school year, it would therefore no longer be possible to offer all-day programs or school social work in Saxony.
Homann called for Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) to intervene. The actions of the CDU and the Minister of Finance are irresponsible and "negligent for cohesion in this country".
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