Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck has expressed concern about the state of the German economy. "Overall, we need to invest more in this country again and get economic growth going," said the Green politician on Wednesday at a trade policy forum in Leipzig at the start of a three-day tour of the country.
Habeck will present the annual economic report next week. It is expected that the German government will significantly downgrade its economic forecast for the current year compared to the last forecast in the fall and only anticipate mini-growth. Both Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) want to strengthen the competitiveness of the German economy, although their proposals differ.
The Federal Minister of Economics was greeted with occasional boos at the forum at the Leipzig trade fair. Habeck once again advocated a reform of the debt brake. "It should not fail because of me." However, the FDP and the CDU/CSU reject reform.
When asked what the most urgent problems facing the skilled trades were, Habeck said that bureaucracy was overwhelming. He announced measures, but at the same time pointed out that the federal states were also responsible for many rules. There was also a lack of workers, so that the economy was not running at full steam. The skilled trades are also suffering from the economic downturn. "People have less money, they are holding back money, companies are not investing."
President of the skilled crafts Jörg Dittrich criticized the traffic light coalition. There is no knowledge problem. There was a lot on the table that was ready for a decision. But the federal government had to do it. Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) said with regard to the coalition that the state had chosen the wrong path. The "basic course" must be changed, the state cannot regulate everything via "micro-control".
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