German government agrees on restrained 2025 budget proposal | DW News

Leaders from Germany's three-way ruling coalition on Friday presented a draft budget for 2025 that contains increased payments to families and more investment in kindergartens, along with more money for climate protection.

The successful negotiations have ended months of squabbling that threatened to tear the coalition apart, raising fears of a snap parliamentary election at a time when far-right elements in the country are fast gaining ground.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the environment-friendly Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) negotiated into the early hours of Friday morning before the presentation.

The Cabinet is to decide whether to accept the budget on July 17. After that, the parliament, or Bundestag, will debate the draft, with the budget possibly being passed in November or December.