Heated debates, sharp criticisms and vehement exchanges have characterised the parliamentary debates on the German budget in recent days. What has been said shows that Germany is in for a tough few months.

After the financial crisis, the refugee crisis and the pandemic, we now have to prepare for a major crisis that is likely to shake the country even more than the previous stress tests of society. This situation has become even clearer during the debates of the so-called „budget week,” when the parties debate the government’s draft budget in the German parliament.

The coalition government of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals is under enormous pressure, and the biggest burden is certainly on the shoulders of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. His opening speech to the general debate, in which he essentially said the economy was standing confidently on its feet, sparked heated exchanges. Friedrich Merz, leader of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), cast doubt on the government’s ability to steer Germany safely through the crisis.

Similar to its Ukraine policy, the government lacks „any compass, any ability to think politically and strategically” in economic policy,

Mr Merz said in the general debate on the 2023 budget, adding that the government is only talking about aid programmes instead of getting to the root of the problems.

The government’s response to energy shortages and rising prices is „a hodgepodge of lowest-common-denominator compromises, far from sufficient responses to the huge challenges the country is facing,”

Mr Merz stated. By that he referred to the 65 billion-euro package of measures put forward by the governing coalition at the beginning of the Bundestag’s budget week. He said that help is needed, of course, given the fact that private households and companies are suffering from the horrendous electricity prices. However, the classic supply shock should be responded to by expanding existing supply, for example by lifting the caps on biomass power generation or even by keeping the three remaining nuclear power plants still operating on the grid, he noted, adding that

„if we want prices to come down, we have to do everything we can on the supply side to make sure that there is enough electricity, enough energy available in this country.”

According to Mr Merz, the decision by Economy Minister Robert Habeck to keep only two of the three nuclear power plants in reserve until April has reached „a level of irrationality that cannot be described.” These nuclear power plants are the most modern and safest in the world, and could supply electricity to ten million households, he stressed.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was also been harshly critical of Minister Robert Habeck. Tino Chrupalla, the leader of AfD’s parliamentary group, simply stated that Mr Habeck „knows as much about economics as a blind man knows about colours,” and added that

the government’s goals have failed in the energy transition because while energy security is not guaranteed and electricity prices are skyrocketing, high taxes and energy transition policies could kill many industries in the short term.

Mr Chrupalla went on to say that the disastrous and megalomaniac foreign policy of the government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also contributing to the misery.

„With a far-reaching economic sanctions regime against Russia, we are isolating ourselves piece by piece,” he warned, and then pointed out that „the economic war that the Greens’ Economics Minister Robert Habeck is fomenting on the basis of sanctions is harming Germany and our citizens, but not Russia. The relief of citizens is therefore only possible with the AfD’s policies – and that means above all: an end to the economic war against Russia, an end to the energy transition!

Mr Chrupalla concluded.

Herr #Habeck, Sie haben von Wirtschaft so viel Ahnung wie ein Blinder von Farbe!@Tino_Chrupalla, Vorsitzender unserer Fraktion, rechnet mit der Politik der Ampel ab. Speziell Wirtschaftsminister Robert Habeck bekommt dabei sein Fett weg! #Generaldebatte #Bundestag #AfD pic.twitter.com/wKbOWgAEQQ

— AfD-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag 🇩🇪 (@AfDimBundestag) September 7, 2022