Lars Klingbeil
German politician (SPD), SPD Federal Chairman, Member of the Bundestag, Federal Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor from Germany since 2025
- yesterday
Germany's Reiche waters down renewable subsidy cuts: small solar gets transition payments, grid compensation softened
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche revised draft energy laws on Friday evening, introducing a three-year transition payment for small rooftop solar and scaling back planned compensation cuts for wind farms in grid-constrained areas.
- 2d ago
Germany unveils 26-point plan to crack down on tax evasion, raising penalties and adding 1,500 customs jobs
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig presented a 26-measure package that would reclassify tax evasion as a felony, raise maximum prison terms to 15 years, and abolish the current form of voluntary disclosure that allows offenders to avoid prosecution.
- 6d ago
German coalition plans sharper tobacco tax hike, pushing cigarette packs toward €12 by 2030
The black-red coalition wants to raise the tobacco tax more steeply than the cabinet decided last week, adding roughly 40 cents per pack and targeting €4.4 billion in extra annual revenue by 2030.
- Jul 10
German parliament passes health insurance savings package, GPs warn of 'massive cuts' and 'pitch-black' care
Bundestag and Bundesrat approved the savings package on Friday. The head of the GP association says practices will now run 'massive cutting programmes' and predicts severe supply problems in rural areas.
- Jul 6
Germany's coalition softens health insurance reform, shifting burden to pharma and federal budget
Health Minister Nina Warken adjusts her savings package for statutory health insurance, reducing planned surcharges for families and co-payments while increasing contributions from the federal government and pharmaceutical industry.
- Jul 5
Klingbeil defends reform package and record debt, promises pragmatic sick note rule
In the first ARD Sommerinterview, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil defended the coalition's 34-point reform package, acknowledged burdens on citizens, and justified record new borrowing with the need to counter Russian threats.
- Jul 3
Germany plans €203.7 billion in new borrowing for 2027, its second-highest on record
Finance minister Lars Klingbeil's draft budget lifts total federal borrowing to over €200 billion, driven by defence and infrastructure spending, with cabinet approval set for Monday.
- Jun 30
German economists say coalition's 34-point reform package falls short of reviving stagnant economy
Leading research institutes warn that the tax cuts and deregulation agreed by the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition will not be enough to pull Europe's largest economy out of a three-year stagnation.
- Jun 29
Germany delays 'humanitarian gesture' for Polish Nazi victims as 1,000 die each month
Berlin has yet to approve a concrete Polish proposal for annual compensation to some 50,000 surviving victims of Nazi occupation, despite a December pledge by Chancellor Friedrich Merz to act on his government’s historical responsibility. Critics call the inaction a 'disgrace' as around 1,000 elderly victims die each month while the plan remains stuck in inter-ministerial talks.
- Jun 27
Germany plans 20% alcohol tax rise, ignoring expert panel's call for 40% increase
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's draft law proposes a 20% increase on spirits and sparkling wine, while an expert commission had urged a hike of over 40%.
- Jun 25
New legal report brands AfD unconstitutional, reigniting German party ban debate
A 13-month expert review by the Society for Freedom Rights concludes the Alternative for Germany violates the democratic principle and human dignity, prompting senior SPD and Green politicians to demand a constitutional ban procedure.
- Jun 17
Coalition partners clash over Dobrindt's push to cut basic income rate as new welfare system nears launch
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has called the current Bürgergeld standard rate too high, setting off a dispute within the coalition as a new Grundsicherung system is set to launch on 1 July. Meanwhile, separate plans for housing benefit cuts could hit pensioners hardest.
- Jun 12
Eurogroup president pushes for fiscal leeway on energy investments as Strait of Hormuz crisis persists
Finance ministers of the eurozone discussed a European Commission proposal to grant member states temporary fiscal flexibility for energy‑security investments, against the backdrop of sustained high prices and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis backed the plan, while Germany sounded a note of caution.
- Jun 1
Germany's Coalition Clashes Over Student Grants: BAföG Increase in Doubt as SPD Accuses CDU/CSU of Breaking Promises
A dispute over the financing of a planned increase to Germany's student grant scheme, BAföG, has erupted within the ruling coalition, with the SPD accusing its CDU/CSU partners of reneging on a deal and sowing uncertainty among young people.
- May 31
Germany's Bafög Reform in Limbo: Minister Bär Doubts Passage, SPD Fires Back in Coalition Clash
A public dispute has erupted within Germany's governing coalition after Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) cast doubt on the planned Bafög student aid reform, drawing sharp rebukes from the SPD, which insists the deal is still on.
