Germany's Conservatives rule out helping minority government to pass budget-related laws before election

The leader of Germany's largest opposition party, Friedrich Merz, has ruled out helping the minority government of chancellor Olaf Scholz to get major policy projects across the line if they affect the government budget. “The German parliament will not be making any major decisions any longer, at least not with our consent,” the Conservative (CDU) politician said, according to a report by public broadcaster ARD. He insisted that his party “is not the spare wheel of this broken car” that is Scholz’s coalition government. The country neither has an amended budget for 2024 nor a budget for 2025, which would “prohibit” his party from consenting to anything that alters spending plans for the next year, the opposition leader said.

Scholz and other members of his minority government have called on members of parliament from the conservative CDU to vote with the government on outstanding policy projects. Budget-relevant policies for which Scholz has sought the Conservatives’ support include an extension of the national ceiling on rent prices, childcare support, and infrastructure protection measures. However, Merz said that his party might give its consent to other selected measures, such as introducing safeguards for protecting the country’s highest court from political influence. The CDU plans to publish its election programme on 17 December, the day after Scholz is set to hold a motion of confidence in parliament.