The financing of motorway construction has prompted criticism of Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeilwithin the Social Democratic parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The group’s transport policy spokesperson, Isabel Cademartori, told the Tagesspiegel that the 2027 budget plan presupposed legislation that the Bundestag had not yet passed. She said she would not be put under pressure.
According to a revised budget proposal from the Federal Finance Ministry seen by the Tagesspiegel, the state-owned Autobahn GmbH is to receive almost two billion euros less for investment in 2027 than previously planned. At the same time, a proposed financial reform would allow the company to borrow in its own right in future. Deutschlandfunk reported on 13 November on Cademartori’s objections.
The MP told the Tagesspiegel that there were still critical points to discuss. She therefore could not guarantee that Autobahn GmbH would be able to borrow from 1 January 2027. Her criticism is thus directed at linking budget planning to legislation on which parliament has yet to decide.
Social Democrats in the Bundestag were not fundamentally opposed to borrowing to finance motorway construction, the Tagesspiegel reported. But Cademartori and other transport policy MPs in the group called for a comparable option for rail. According to the newspaper, they would agree only if the Union made a firm commitment to a corresponding rail fund .
The Greens have also criticised the approach. Budget policy spokesperson Paula Piechotta accused Klingbeil, speaking to the German Press Agency, of cutting funding even though the new borrowing powers had not yet been approved. The opposition fears that construction projects would have to be halted without new funding. The reports available do not specify which projects would be affected.
Until now, Autobahn GmbH has received money from the federal budget for investment, operations and administration. Under the government’s draft legislation, it would be allowed to borrow to a limited extent from 2027. From 2028, it is to receive a share of the revenue from the HGV toll . The Transport Ministry links the reform to the aim of making investment funding more reliable; the federal government is to remain the owner of the motorways.
The disputed cut appears in a proposal for discussions by the Budget Committee. It should be distinguished from the separate decision on the statutory authority to borrow. According to the reports cited, it remains unclear whether the borrowing rules will take effect in time and how rail will be funded in future.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).