SPD sticks to demand for investment fund

SPD puts investment needs in Saxony at 10 billion euros

The SPD had already put the investment needs in Saxony at 10 billion euros in August, a few weeks before the state elections. The money is needed for schools, hospitals and housing, among other things, it said at the time. Panter now sees the Dresden "bridge case" - the collapse of part of the Carola Bridge - as reviving the debate on renewing dilapidated infrastructure. "In our view, there can be no 'business as usual'."

A solid budgetary policy is a tradition in Saxony and is also the right thing to do. We don't want to be "hasbardeurism" and simply waste money, but rather look at what is necessary. One should not cling to an "ideological mantra". By his own admission, however, Panter has also gotten the impression that there is a rethink on this issue within the CDU parliamentary group.

In concrete terms, the SPD wants to divert 3.5 billion euros from a reduced allocation to the generation fund for investments. A further 1.5 billion euros are to come from a deferral of the repayment of a billion-euro loan from the coronavirus pandemic. However, this requires an amendment to the constitution, which is no longer a given with the current majority in parliament - the AfD and the one member of the Free Voters have a blocking minority.

According to the constitution, Saxony must repay loans within just eight years, while other states take decades to do so. Originally, all parliamentary groups in the state parliament had spoken out in favor of extending the deadline. The CDU and AfD later backed away from this.

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