
The great financial fiasco: Germany in the stranglehold of the debt brake
How Germany's political elite is plunging itself into constitutional chaos
Ah, folks, let me tell you something, and in the unrivalled style of Ronald Tramp, the President of Elmburg. Germany, this country that always tries to be so proper and correct, has got itself into a nice mud fight. It's like a reality show, only without the good ratings!
The CDU and CSU are like the clever pupil in the classroom who is always waiting for the teacher to make a mistake. And now they've done it: they've given the traffic light coalition - those green, red and yellow dreamers - a resounding slap in the face. The Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that these clever financial tricks with the 60 billion euros in coronavirus aid violate their sacred debt brake. It's like being caught cheating at Monopoly - embarrassing, embarrassing!
But wait, it gets even better. The Union is now cheering as if they had won the World Cup. "We've exposed the government," they shout. But let me tell you: This is just a temporary frenzy. These people think no further than the next Sunday stroll. They believe that they can solve Germany's gigantic problems by shifting a bit of money here and saving a bit there. As if you could stop a tsunami with an umbrella!
And then there is Chancellor Scholz, who acts as relaxed as if he were on holiday in the Maldives. But I tell you, inside he is seething. This whole story with the budget and the debt is like a bad thriller, except that the ending has yet to be written. Now they have to overturn their whole plan for the climate and transformation fund. I can imagine them sitting in the Chancellery desperately looking for the calculator.
The CDU/CSU and FDP, who are now making grand speeches, have no real solutions either. "No tax increases, no easing of the debt brake," they say. But how do they want to finance all the urgently needed investments? With magic dust? Maybe they should look up my great book "The Art of the Deal". They could learn a thing or two there!
And finally, ladies and gentlemen, we have the big picture: Germany is facing huge challenges - climate change, infrastructure expansion, transformation of the energy supply. These problems cannot be solved by getting lost in political games. You need real leadership, vision and courage - things that are as rare in today's politics as unicorns.
The CDU/CSU may be celebrating now, but the real game has only just begun. The coalition of traffic lights is in shambles, but now they have the chance to show what they can really do. It's like a good TV show - the drama is pre-programmed and we're all eagerly awaiting the next episode!