German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has urged the government to find ways to save money and avoid additional expenses despite expected record tax income of over €1 trillion next year. Lindner said that even with such high income, the government would still struggle to meet all its legal obligations. He emphasized that tax increases and circumventing the country’s debt brake are not options for him or Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Lindner believes that Germany must learn to manage with the money provided by citizens, and he plans to present the 2024 federal budget in June as planned. His priorities include modernizing infrastructure across the transportation sector, digitalization, and strengthening Germany’s army, as well as supporting education and research. He suggested that other projects should be labeled as “desirable but currently not realizable.”