Overview

• The government has tabled its 2026 draft budget with €520.5 billion in spending and €89.9 billion in net borrowing, following the Bundestag’s approval of the €502.55 billion 2025 budget and a constitutionally anchored €500 billion infrastructure and climate fund.
• The Bundesrechnungshof warns that including special funds could lift effective net borrowing in 2026 to about €174 billion, meaning nearly one in three euros of outlays would be debt-financed, with a structural gap projected from 2027.
• The transport ministry reports a roughly €15 billion shortfall for new and expanded federal roads through 2029 and an additional €2.5–2.9 billion gap for rail expansion, saying the special fund is largely limited to maintenance and bridge renewal.
• Patrick Schnieder is pressing for more regular-budget money for new builds, arguing that numerous shovel‑ready projects cannot proceed under current plans.
• Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil counters that €166 billion is available for transport infrastructure and says delivery now hinges on how the transport portfolio allocates those resources, as several states seek clarity to avoid delays.