As the German constitution aims for equal living conditions, a huge number of political measures to enhance the conditions in the new states were undertaken after unification (known as the "Aufbau Ost"). In the new states, expenditure per capita rose significantly over the average expenditure of...

In May, the EU Commission presented its proposal for the EU budget for 2021 to 2027—a period of change for the EU. Not only will Great Britain’s exit from the Union leave a significant hole in the budget, but at the same time the budget must cover a vast range of additional requirements....

The situation of public budgets is relaxed and will remain so in the years 2015 and 2016 - despite a slight weakening in the coming year. In 2014, the overall budget is estimated to show a surplus of 0.5 percent relative to nominal gross domestic product; next year the surplus will shrink to 0.1...

One of the key tasks of this legislative period is to restructure the federal fiscal equalization system by 2020. There is a lot of money involved: in 2013, nearly 14 percent of ultimate tax revenue from the Länder was redistributed. The existing system has developed over time, is highly...

Eine der Hauptaufgaben in dieser Legislaturperiode besteht in der Neuordnung der föderalen Finanzbeziehungen zum Jahr 2020. Es geht um viel Geld: Im Jahr 2013 sind im Rahmen des Finanzausgleichs knapp 14 Prozent des letztlich den Ländern zufließenden Steueraufkommens umverteilt worden. Das...

Die Lage der öffentlichen Haushalte ist entspannt und wird es auch in den Jahren 2015 und 2016 bleiben - trotz einer leichten Eintrübung im kommenden Jahr. Der Gesamthaushalt dürfte in diesem Jahr mit einem Überschuss von 0,5 Prozent in Relation zum nominalen Bruttoinlandsprodukt...