It's that time again: the most important and by far the most expensive law of the year is on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies, and by the time you read this, it will probably already be in the bag.
This article is provided to you free of charge. If you want to support our team, then take out a subscription now.
Every year, we can only make the same observation at this point: When it gets dark and uncomfortable outside, it's not just the festive season and Christmas in this country, but also the time when the House of Representatives discusses the draft budget for the coming year.
In addition to the State of the Union statement, the budget debates are often stylised as the parliamentary highlight of the year, but this does not prevent them from becoming a kind of compulsory exercise for some politicians. The majority and opposition MPs play the role assigned to them here: if you belong to a governing party, you scrutinise the draft budget or government policy for its positive aspects and are generous with praise, or if you are in the opposition, you look for hairs in the budget soup and paint everything black.
While the parliamentary group chairmen and group leaders, who are generally the first to speak and almost always give lengthy speeches, usually deal with the budget report itself and the state's financial situation, ordinary MPs often go into everything that is on their minds afterwards.
Continue reading for free
Get access to this article by subscribing to our newsletter that is sent twice a week. You also have to have a Journal account.
Already have an account?
Log in
