Kretschmer prepares Saxony for difficult times

Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has prepared the state for difficult times ahead. At the start of the final consultations on Saxony's double budget, he referred to the three-year recession in Germany. The fact that the state's income from taxes and levies is not sufficient to complete its mandatory tasks has not been seen in the past 35 years.

According to Kretschmer, Saxony will manage without new debt in the budget for 2025 and 2026. However, when drawing up the 2027/2028 double budget, which will begin next year, Saxony will once again be faced with the dilemma of whether to use the instrument made possible by the amended Basic Law. "The sooner Berlin succeeds in setting the course for growth, the smaller the problem will be," he said.

Kretschmer demands clear prioritization

Saxony will have to make do with less money, said Kretschmer. The state would have to forego tasks. There is already a shortfall of around two billion euros in the budget. It is more important than ever to set priorities. "What is important to us is what helps us to get out of this difficult economic situation as quickly as possible." It is also important to maintain the structures for social cohesion.

Kretschmer expressly thanked the Greens and the Left Party, with whom the CDU-SPD minority coalition agreed on a budget. The coalition is ten votes short of a majority in parliament.

They had formed a "community of responsibility", said Kretschmer. The two opposition parties had not done this for him, the CDU or the state government, but as part of their responsibility to ensure that the state had a budget.