The Budget Committee of the Bundestag has approved the draft federal budget for 2027, but only in the early morning after a session that lasted the entire night and fell far behind the original schedule. Final changes were incorporated before the approval. The committee has thereby cleared the way for the final vote in the plenary, which is scheduled for the period from November 24 to 27.
With spending of around 560.9 billion euros, the budget for 2027 is the largest the federal government has ever drawn up. Net borrowing in the core budget amounts to just under 123 billion euros, roughly 4 billion euros above the government's draft. In addition, there are further loans from special funds, including for infrastructure and the Bundeswehr. According to estimates, total debt will likely exceed 200 billion euros as a result. The figures show that the federal government will spend significantly more next year than it takes in through taxes, and that the debt burden will rise accordingly.
A particularly contentious point remains the planned reduction of the electricity tax for all consumers. The project comes from the coalition agreement of the CDU/CSU and SPD and is being pushed forward by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU. According to the available figures, it costs around 5 billion euros. For individual citizens, however, the relief will be small, amounting to only a few euros. The CDU/CSU and SPD have so far been unable to agree on how to finance it, even though the reduction is anchored in the coalition agreement. A decision is expected at the coalition committee on Tuesday.
The budget sets out how much money each federal ministry may spend in 2027. Once passed by the Bundestag, it would form the basis for federal spending in the coming fiscal year. Until then, it remains open whether the coalition will find a solution for the electricity tax without further increasing the debt burden. The plenary vote will then make the final decision on the framework within which the ministries can plan.