Public petition n°4078

Petitioner: Romain Reiter

This petition is available in other languages:

Purpose of the petition The goal of the debt brake is to - ensure the long-term sustainability of the state budget, - preserve the financial leeway for government tasks, and - not burden future generations.

Petition Motivation Future generations are being increasingly burdened. Therefore, it is essential that the state budget be made sustainable in the long term. An article in the constitution should establish the principle of a balanced budget without borrowing revenue for the state budget. Aware that a constitutional amendment is a lengthy process, the debt brake should be introduced in an initial phase through an act of parliament. In line with the principle of balanced budgets, there should be a narrowly defined borrowing margin, regardless of the economic situation. The maximum permissible net borrowing shall be limited to 0.35 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. An exemption for natural disasters or other extraordinary emergencies beyond the state's control and that have a significant impact on the state's financial situation ensures that the government has the necessary ability to act to manage the crisis. The state of emergency must be declared by a two-thirds majority in the Chamber. At the same time, a repayment plan must also be decided, which provides that the loans approved for the emergency will be repaid within a reasonable time. If the permissible net borrowing is increased due to an extraordinary emergency, it must then be reduced during periods of economic prosperity.