Die Finanzhilfen des Bundes für Privathaushalte und Unternehmen haben sich gegenüber dem Vorjahr mehr als verdoppelt. Sie dürften in diesem Jahr rund 208 Milliarden Euro erreichen, hat das Kieler Institut für Weltwirtschaft (IfW) in seinem neuen Subventionsbericht ausgerechnet. 2022 seien es noch 98 Milliarden Euro gewesen, 2021 77 Milliarden Euro.
„Ich kann es nicht umformulieren.“
The economists from Kiel state that the federal financial aid has become the largest expenditure item for the federal government. More than 30 cents of every euro are allocated to financial aid this year. Social expenditures, such as the federal subsidy for pension insurance and expenses for citizen’s income, are slightly below 30 cents. Only about 20 cents of every federal euro are allocated to areas such as infrastructure development or research and education. In terms of subsidies, expenditures have recently shifted significantly towards the environment and energy.
Die Hälfte der Hilfen kommt aus Sondervermögen
Approximately half of the financial aid this year will not be financed from the regular federal budget, but from the Economic Stabilization Fund, a so-called special asset. The federal government filled the fund last year with credit authorizations of 200 billion euros and used it to pay for the state’s stake in the gas importer Uniper.
The IfW estimates the subsidy volume of the Economic Stabilization Fund at 100 billion euros. The report sets the government’s target values for 2023 for the gas and electricity price brakes at 40 and 43 billion euros respectively. According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, however, only just under 19 billion euros have actually been disbursed for the gas price brake and 13.6 billion euros for the electricity price brake by the end of August. This is due to the decreased market prices.
The traffic light coalition intends to continue the price brakes until April 2024. According to Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Green Party), discussions with the EU Commission are still ongoing. At the same time, the traffic light coalition is currently debating a new subsidy: a discounted electricity price for large industrial companies over several years. The Green Party and a large part of the SPD are in favor, while the Chancellor’s Office and the FDP are against it.
Including the estimated values for the financial aid provided by the states, according to the IfW’s calculations, subsidies amount to 362 billion euros or 9.7 percent of the gross domestic product. In 2019, prior to the time of the Corona aid, the share was still 5.8 percent.