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Frankfurt / Main (dpa / lhe) - austerity constraints and election campaigns - that can be a tricky combination, knows the Frankfurt finance department head Uwe Becker (CDU).

"The election campaign is certainly making the necessary consolidations more difficult, because nobody finds it easy to convey the necessary austerity measures," he told the German press agency.

There are colleagues in the magistrate who "openly declare that this is not the time to save."

But one shouldn't pretend to the citizens until March 14th that everything will go on like this, stressed Becker, who is hoping for savings proposals from the other department heads before the election.

“From my point of view, there are between 100 and 150 million that should be saved in the budget this year,” he said.

The city council elections will take place on March 14, 2021.

In the Frankfurt magistrate, the SPD, CDU and the Greens form a coalition that has already experienced several crises.

The authorities of the social and cultural infrastructure are insecure, said the local politician about the situation without adopting a budget.

"At the moment you can rely on the city to remain a reliable contractual partner - but whether we can provide all services and to what extent is not clear."

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Frankfurt is an economically strong city.

"In this respect, there is no fundamental concern about the future, but we must ensure that we remain economically and financially viable," stressed Becker with a view to the economic and financial effects of the corona pandemic.

"Last year we received almost 500 million euros less trade tax than in 2019."

At the same time, last year's budget was planned with more income for the city.

The gap is therefore more than 600 million euros.

Thanks to state aid, an amount of 440 million euros has been replaced.

"But there remains a clear gap to what we actually wanted to take."

After income from the Fraport dividend and the trade fair had already been lost last year, the development this year was still shaped by the pandemic.

"At the moment one has to assume that apart from the lower trade tax, there will be no profit again this year", feared Becker.

"You have to expect an extremely difficult first half of the year."

Forecasts are difficult because no one can say how long the measures to contain the pandemic will continue, to what extent bankruptcies will occur and what the effects will be on the banks.

Companies that survived last year with reserves and aid may not be able to save themselves this year.

"We are still on the move with a lot of uncertainty," said Becker.

Even with an optimistic forecast, one would have to reckon with around 200 million less - a minus of 200 million had already been planned for the current year.