Overview

• The Left Party approved conditions at its Leipzig conference requiring the state debt brake to be loosened before supporting the 2025/26 budget.
• Party delegates also demanded a formal say in distributing federal special assets funds and targeted improvements in healthcare, long-term care, social housing, infrastructure, democracy and culture.
• The CDU-SPD minority government, which introduced its draft budget in early April, is short of ten seats in the Landtag and must win opposition backing.
• The budget and finance committee is currently negotiating key amendments during its ongoing retreat ahead of a parliamentary vote scheduled later this month.
• Markus Pohle, deputy chairman of the Left Party, warned that failing to pass a full budget would imperil funding for critical regional projects.