The Ifo Institute is skeptical as to whether the debt brake can be relaxed in all federal states. Only in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia and Saarland could the debt brake be relaxed at state level by law with simple majorities in the parliaments, the Ifo Institute announced. In the remaining federal states, constitutional amendments with two-thirds majorities would be necessary. "It is by no means certain that majorities will be achieved in the federal states for a relaxation of the debt brake," said Joachim Ragnitz from the Ifo branch in Dresden.
A constitutional amendment majority is only available to the governing parties in Schleswig-Holstein, according to the information. Everywhere else, the government would have to reach an agreement with the opposition parties. In Brandenburg, the agreement of at least one AfD MP would even be required.
"In view of these constellations, the debt brake for the federal states will not be lifted so quickly. In many places, constitution-amending majorities will probably be achieved after the next state elections at best," said Ragnitz.
