Overview

• In a letter obtained by dpa, the finance minister calls for a “joint effort” and moves to start work on the 2027 federal budget in September.
• State secretaries from all ministries will convene in the first half of September to map next steps, far earlier than the usual spring 2026 timeline.
• Official planning points to a financing shortfall of more than €30 billion in 2027 that requires closing.
• Klingbeil writes that hoped-for economic growth and previously agreed administrative and program cuts will not be sufficient, signaling the need to reset priorities.
• He expects substantial consolidation proposals from every ministry, including options involving non-disposable funds that could necessitate legislative action or scrap existing entitlements.