(de-news.net) – Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) has emphasized the need for all federal ministries to adopt cost-saving measures in preparing the 2025 budget. He cautioned against any sense of complacency, despite the availability of a 500-billion-euro special fund for infrastructure and the exemption of defense spending from the constitutional debt brake. Klingbeil reaffirmed his commitment to presenting a budget that is both carefully calculated and internally coherent.

He also noted that the recent constitutional amendment to the debt brake has provided the governing coalition with greater flexibility to invest in the country’s future. Describing the measure as forward-looking, he argued that it is intended to strengthen Germany’s long-term position rather than simply offset short-term budgetary gaps. Reflecting on the financial constraints faced by previous governments, Klingbeil suggested that the prior administration might not have collapsed had it enjoyed similar borrowing latitude. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the continued importance of fiscal restraint in other areas of public spending.