German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that the country is forced to reconsider its priorities in humanitarian assistance. According to him, Germany will continue to participate in international humanitarian projects, but will invest less in them, since it is necessary to increase funding for its own security. Despite the fact that Germany is the fourth-largest economy in the world, its capabilities are limited, Lindner stressed. This statement followed the approval of a new budget for 2025, which will amount to 481 billion euros. Within the framework of this budget, it is planned to reduce the costs of many departments, including assistance to poor countries. The Government's plans have attracted criticism from humanitarian organizations. In addition, a group of young deputies from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) is threatening to withdraw from the ruling coalition due to disagreements over the draft budget. One of the main stumbling blocks was the increase in expenses. Lindner insists on maintaining the «debt brake» rule, which limits new borrowing for fear of rising debt obligations. Last year, this rule led Germany into a budget crisis.
