Von Breitenbuch: The days of extras are over

Saxony's Environment and Agriculture Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch (CDU) believes that the state has also reached its financial limits in his department. "I was a budget politician for a long time. If a piggy bank is empty and there are no more reserves, then you have to make do with less money. The days of extras are over," he said in an interview with the German Press Agency. The understanding for this is distributed differently. But we have now arrived in reality.

"We no longer have as much money available as we have spent on extras over the last five years, for example in the areas of the environment and agriculture. Unfortunately, often enough for extras and not for the basic load," said the minister, who also reports from his own experience as a farmer. There are enough things that need to be put in order first, he said. "In this respect, I am grateful that we are now setting sensible priorities again. This is also an opportunity."

Times of correction after times of exuberance

"After times of exuberance, there must be times of correction. Then you focus on the essentials," he said. He had found the employees at his company to be very constructive in this process. The first step was the realization that they could not spend any more money. Then they focused on the structures behind it, which state funds are absolutely necessary to co-finance federal and EU funds.

The minister recalled that he had also been confronted with difficult financial decisions as an entrepreneur and as a family man. "I know what it's like to have to budget with the money you have available. You can't take out a loan for everything. That may be true for investments, but not for consumption." That's why he doesn't find it difficult to see the situation for what it is - an adjustment.

Expenditure to fall by around 330 million euros

Compared to the previous double budget, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment will have around 500 million euros less at its disposal for 2025 and 2026. However, as the areas of climate protection and energy are no longer involved in the ministry formerly run by the Greens, the reduction cannot be directly compared. The bottom line is that expenditure is set to fall by 168 million euros (2025) and 163 million euros (2026) compared to the 2024 budget.

Cuts are planned for personnel and material resources, among other things. This applies both to the ministry itself and to subordinate authorities such as Sachsenforst and the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology. A future prize, which has so far supported innovative ideas in the areas of energy, climate and the environment with 2.5 million euros, will be discontinued.

Saxony will stay away from the Green Week

The funding of networks for the formation of model organic regions will be canceled. Saxony will also not be taking part in the Green Week. There are cutbacks in dams and water restoration. In the next few years, conservation must take precedence over new construction.

"After very good times, we are now entering another period in which we are trying to take a deep breath," said von Breitenbuch. He wants to set a different course than his predecessor Wolfram Günther from the Green Party. He was able to act differently in a "green exuberance", partly because more money was available. In agriculture, the focus is now on regional production and includes conventional agriculture on an equal footing. Furthermore, it makes no sense to keep pouring money into new networks.