Overview

• On ARD’s Caren Miosga, the finance minister called Germany’s infrastructure “embarrassing” and urged a rapid rollout that delivers visible improvements.
• The special fund totals €500 billion for infrastructure and climate projects, with €100 billion allocated to the Länder for distribution.
• Klingbeil said he sought to require that 60% of the Länder share flow to cities and towns but that the states blocked the provision.
• He pledged federal oversight of how the money is used and promised that the federal share will directly support municipalities, alongside efforts to cut red tape and speed approvals.
• He aims for party leaders to finalize around year’s end a package to close the 2027 budget gap of about €34 billion, while fending off economist critiques that the fund masks core-budget holes.