The traffic light coalition is planning a quick action to turn corona loans into climate loans.
The reallocated funds should then be sufficient to get through the legislative period with the new projects.
Red-Green-Yellow wants to use the exception clause drawn in the pandemic in the debt rule to create a buffer.
On Monday, the cabinet will decide to refuel the fund under pressure, which will in future be called “Climate and Transformation”.
From 2023 onwards, the normal regulation should apply again, it is honestly said.
But before that, the Basic Law is abused to such an extent that one becomes fearful and apprehensive.
The fact that tax revenues have not yet reached the pre-crisis level is no justification for building up such a gigantic reserve with Corona credit authorizations.
The coalition provides two arguments: On the one hand, there was a similar operation last year.
On the other hand, the consequences of the pandemic and the risks to the economic recovery must be combated further.
Neither is convincing.
The fund has long had reserves of around 30 billion euros.
Several canisters are empty
Now another 60 billion euros are to be parked there. In addition, there is a reserve in the general budget of almost 50 billion euros. For comparison: In normal years, the debt rule allows new borrowing of around 12 billion euros. This shows: It's not about a sip from the bottle, but rather about emptying several canisters at the same time.
The good causes - climate and digitization - do not justify the means.
You don't play with the constitution.
You can change it.
If you don't want to or can't do that, you have other options for financing new things: you have to cut less important items or increase your income.
In the beginning, every new government deserved indulgence, and this also applies to the liberal finance minister Christian Lindner.
But what do you do when the new ones don't take their time?
What would the FDP say about the traffic light plans if they were on the opposition bench?
One suspects it: nothing good.