Politics · Germany · 6 hrs ago
CDU lawmaker urges spending cuts as Germany faces large budget gaps
CDU lawmaker Andreas Mattfeldt says Germany’s rising debt and lack of reforms are causing him personal distress.
A government forecast cited by the German Federal Audit Office puts the funding gap through 2030 at €108 billion.
The office estimates that in 2027, new borrowing will cover €28.90 of every €100 in state spending.
The government has also approved a tobacco tax increase, while plans include higher alcohol taxes and a levy on sugary drinks.
Mattfeldt wants ministers to cut subsidies and spending, including in social programmes, rather than rely mainly on higher taxes.
Some coalition members say a rise in value-added tax may be needed in 2028 if spending is not reduced.
CDU budget expert Fritz Güntzler wants discussions on where to make cuts to begin before Christmas.
CDU lawmaker Andreas Mattfeldt is calling on Germany’s government to make deep spending cuts as large budget gaps loom.
He said the lack of reform and rising debt had become a personal burden, saying he “almost physically suffer[s]” from it.
Mattfeldt said 30 billion euros could be saved from the 2028 budget, which is around 600 billion euros.
A Federal Audit Office report cited by Bild says the government faces a total shortfall of 108 billion euros by 2030.
The coalition has approved a tobacco tax increase and plans further tax rises, while some members consider a possible increase in value-added tax in 2028.
- Who
- CDU lawmaker Andreas Mattfeldt is urging cuts. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and other ministers are among those he addresses.
- What
- Mattfeldt is calling for a strict spending-cutting programme to address large budget gaps and rising debt.
- When
- Bild published the report on October 16, 2026. Mattfeldt called for budget discussions to begin before Christmas.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- The government faces large projected budget shortfalls, and Mattfeldt says parts of politics and society are not willing to reform.
Andreas Mattfeldt
Coalition tax-raising approach
Spending policy
Andreas Mattfeldt
Mattfeldt says the government should make substantial, systematic cuts, including to subsidies and social spending.
Coalition tax-raising approach
The coalition has approved a tobacco tax increase and plans further tax increases, including on alcohol and sugary drinks.
How to address the gap
Andreas Mattfeldt
Mattfeldt says 30 billion euros can be saved from the 2028 budget.
Coalition tax-raising approach
Some coalition members consider a value-added tax increase in 2028 possible if savings are not made.
Friedrich Merz said on ZDF that there would be no tax increases with him.
The coalition approved a tobacco tax increase in the Bundestag, according to Bild’s report published the following day.
Bild reported Mattfeldt’s call for a strict savings programme and cited a Federal Audit Office report projecting a 108 billion euro gap by 2030.
Güntzler called for budget discussions to begin on where savings should be made.
- 2028 budget
- Around 600 billion euros
- Proposed savings
- 30 billion euros
- Projected shortfall by 2030
- 108 billion euros, according to a Federal Audit Office report cited by Bild
- 2027 funding gap
- 28.9% of government spending, according to the report
- Tobacco tax increase
- 3.30 euros per pack by 2030
What people are saying
I suffer almost physically.
It would be easy to save 30 billion euros from a budget of around 600 billion euros – and systematically. You just have to want to.
If we do not finally get into real saving, and fundamentally address the state's spending and responsibilities, it will no longer be enough to turn the tax dials a little on tobacco, plastic or sugar.
That is why we must begin discussions before Christmas about where this should happen.