No problem with the budget yet
Christian Lindner calls his work a “design budget”. Well, what is the responsible finance minister supposed to say? But it sounds a little euphemistic given the history.
Last November, the Federal Constitutional Court threw a wrench into the government's financial plan that it had presented at the time. Today the Bundestag is supposed to approve the revised budget for the longest running year. The main creative activity between these two dates was to scrape together the missing billions in order to plug the hole in the budget and still comply with the debt brake.
The Chancellor, his treasurer and the coalition would have liked to finally have the matter checked off this Friday. But the opposition is stepping on the brakes again: The Union has ensured that, following the Bundestag decision, the Bundesrat will deal with the budget itself today, but not yet with the so-called Budget Financing Act. This includes, among other things, the controversial abolition of diesel tax advantages for farmers.
However, some people in the SPD still don't want to accept this. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig calls the cuts in agricultural diesel "still a problem" in SPIEGEL (read the entire interview here).
Looks like the traffic light issue isn't over yet.
Budget and Constitution: The debt brake is not God-given
Start of the starting opportunities program
Do you know Bettina Stark-Watzinger? That's mean, the FDP woman is, after all, Federal Minister for Education and Research. But the question is not entirely unfounded: Stark-Watzinger remained on the very last step on the most recent SPIEGEL political ladder - 55 percent of Germans do not know the politician.
Can today give Stark-Watzinger a boost in popularity? Together with her counterparts from the federal states, the Education Minister wants to present her prestige project a year late: the so-called StartChances program. From this summer onwards, 4,000 schools in socially difficult situations across Germany will receive additional support. According to current plans, a total of 20 billion euros will be available for this over ten years.
The goal is certainly worthy of honor. But can the program really eliminate educational injustices? Educational researcher Olaf Köller recently told SPIEGEL: "It won't hurt, but it won't help either." His colleague Dirk Zorn praised the approach to the dpa news agency, but criticized that the funding was "not sufficient given the size of the challenges «.
It remains to be seen whether the program will be remembered as a turning point for the better. For disadvantaged students and for the Minister of Education.
Starting Opportunities Program, Digital Pact 2.0, Bafög reform: This is the situation with the traffic light's major educational policy projects
Stay back, please!
And another daily look at the traffic situation: The plane leaves, the ICE train leaves - but today you will wait in vain for buses, trams and subways. Unless you live in Bavaria: The Free State is exempt from the Verdi warning strike.
In all other federal states there is little public transport. The approximately 90,000 employees of municipal transport companies are demanding better working conditions, and in some countries it is also about more money.
By the way: A strike like this is not a reason not to show up for work. The so-called travel risk lies with the employee. So if you haven't agreed something else with your boss beforehand, such as working from home or reducing overtime, you can't blame the canceled bus for your absence. Compulsory schooling also remains unaffected.
Read the SPIEGEL editorial about the strikes in Germany: Rules for industrial action - So that the Zoch kütt
Click here for the current daily quiz
The starting question today: Three films have won eleven Oscars so far (as of January 2024). Which of these titles belongs to this?
Loser of the day...
...is Viktor Orbán. For weeks, Hungary's prime minister had opposed the billions in European aid for Ukraine. There was a threat of scandal at yesterday's special EU summit - but then Orbán realized that he had gambled away.
Nobody stood by him, nobody understood, and instead the other member states were already thinking about taking away Hungary's voting rights. And lo and behold: Orbán, the otherwise tough negotiator, quickly gave in.
Agreement on EU aid to Ukraine: Orbán lays down his arms
The latest reports from the night
Washington announces retaliatory strikes against pro-Iranian militias:
"This is a dangerous moment in the Middle East": After the drone attack by pro-Iranian militias that left three dead US soldiers, Defense Secretary Austin leaves no doubt about his country's decisive response.
Tens of thousands are demonstrating again against the government in Slovakia:
They see the country's rule of law in danger: In Slovakia, many people have demonstrated again against the Kremlin-affiliated head of government Robert Fico. He is planning a judicial reform that is highly controversial.
Tesla crashes into fjord - occupants rescued from floating sauna:
The driver apparently accidentally stepped on the gas, then his Tesla landed in the icy Oslo harbor basin. However, rescue was quickly on hand – warming up included.
The SPIEGEL+ recommendations for today
Wrong-way drivers on the runway:
Near-collisions occur again and again, especially at US airports. One reason for the growing risk of crashes is a lack of air traffic controllers - a long-term consequence of Corona.
This woman declares war on off-road vehicles in Paris:
Mayor Anne Hidalgo is letting Parisians vote on fines for SUVs this weekend. She is thus continuing her radical anti-car course. That could work in the French capital.
"Their aim is to divide our society":
16,500 cases of disinformation uncovered, and almost all of them came from Russia: Lutz Güllner, head of the EU Department for Strategic Communications, reports on the fight against such campaigns - and the pitfalls of his work .
Have a good start to the day.
Heartfelt,
Yours, Philipp Wittrock, head of duty in Los Angeles