Greens politician Sebastian Schäfer asked Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) for details on construction projects funded by the 500 billion euro infrastructure special fund. After nearly two months, the Federal Ministry of Finance provided mostly evasive answers without a proper overview. Critics accuse the government of misusing the debt-financed funds.
Berlin. On his first day in office last May, Lars Klingbeil (SPD) pledged to act as an "Investitionsminister". The 500 billion euro infrastructure special fund was to modernize Germany, renovating schools, rails, and roads so that "bulldozers roll".
In March, two economic research institutes accused Klingbeil of largely misappropriating the fund to plug budget holes and finance election gifts.
Greens budget politician Sebastian Schäfer requested a list of new projects funded by the fund that are already under construction. The Finance Ministry's response, obtained by Handelsblatt and taking nearly two months, reveals a lack of comprehensive overview.
The opposition criticizes the lack of transparency in using the debt-financed funds.
