From Hildburg Bruns
The little budget with its 4,028 pages was not made quite so quickly: the financial experts plowed through the columns of figures for 72 hours in 15 meetings – on Thursday evening the parliament then passed the budget for 2022/23.
This means that the forced break for new projects after the last election in autumn falls. “With a record volume of 38.7 billion for 2022 and 37.9 billion for 2023, Berlin is on the way to overcoming the triple crisis,” said Finance Senator Daniel Wesener (Greens). However, he expects that the corona pandemic, war, climate change and inflation will reduce financial leeway.
In the debate, the opposition shot at red-green-red: worsening housing shortage, crumbling infrastructure, acute shortage of teachers – for FDP parliamentary group leader Sebastian Czaja (38) “doing nothing by the Senate is abuse of office”. For CDU boss Kai Wegner (49) a “tragedy, not a blockbuster.”
Front woman Franziska Giffey (44, CDU) switched to counterattack: “We have shown that Berlin can handle a crisis and that Berlin is in top form in times of crisis. “It is not a matter of course to house 70,000 Ukrainian refugees without opening a single gymagainst.”
After all, she was able to score 30 million for subway planning – a success, even if the groundbreaking ceremony for the U 3 Krumme Lanke/Mexikoplatz takes place in the current government period.
Franziska Giffey (SPD), Governing Mayor of Berlin, speaks in the plenary session in the Berlin House of Representatives Photo: dpa
The SPD is also continuing its free course (daycare fees, school meals, student ticket) – from August 2023, the after-school care fees for third-graders will also be eliminated.
A total of 4091 new jobs will be created in the Senate authorities, 400 in the districts – the BZ says, where:
Senate Chancellery
Budget (2022/23): 79.7/ 86.4 million euros
Personnel: plus 11 positions, including administrative digitization
The governing Franziska Giffey (44, SPD) is committed to improvements in citizen services (town halls), district volunteer exchanges and foundation days. More money is flowing into the film and media sector, there is more support for art house cinemas
education, youth, family
Budget (2022/23): 5.6 billion euros each
Personnel: among other things plus 773 teaching posts and plus 702 educators, social workers, teaching aids
Senator Astrid-Sabine Busse (64, SPD) powers the work of the district mothers she knows from Neukölln (plus 13 million). The approximately 1,500 positions in the school sector also have to be filled – which is why Berlin is making civil servants teachers again
finance
Budget (2022/2023): 690/ 705 million euros
Personnel: plus 463 posts for tax offices, implementation of property tax reform, teacher appointments, among other things
Senator Daniel Wesener (46, Greens) is adjusting the number of staff so that the tax offices continue to be among the fastest in the country as the population grows. Also important to him: better IT equipment, more diversity among state staff
Science, health, care, equality
Budget (2022/23): 3.6/ 3.3 billion euros
Personnel: plus 90 positions for corona crisis management, nursing officers, Green Hospital, among others.
Senator Ulrike Gote (56, Greens) campaigned for an additional women’s shelter with 55 places, contact points for single parents in all districts, free school fees for healthcare professions
Interior, digitization, sport
Budget (2022/23): 2.87/2.94 billion euros
Personnel: plus 626 police positions, plus 103 fire brigades
Senator Iris Spranger (60, SPD) secures the Kotti crime hotspot with a police station. 100 new positions and five locations accelerate the allocation of appointments at the citizen registration offices. And: 15 million euros for the new immigration office – target: 20,000 naturalizations/year
Integration, work, social affairs
Budget (2022/23): 1.526/ 1.575 billion euros
Personnel: plus 138 positions, including control of occupational safety, e.g. B. for delivery services, help for the homeless
Senator Katja Kipping (44, left) campaigned in particular for the higher national minimum wage (13 euros), two new district centers per year, expansion of the Housing First project for the homeless
Justice, diversity, anti-discrimination
Budget (2022): 1.1 billion euros/ (2023) plus 30 million euros
Personnel: plus 113 posts, including with a view to encrochat procedures and combating organized crime.
Senator Lena Kreck (41, left) sees information security in courts as a matter for the boss – through appropriate IT, she also strengthens the fight against anti-Semitism, creates a center for black communities
culture and Europe
Budget (2022/23): 885.7/ 905.8 million euros including Corona aid
Personnel: plus 21 positions, focus on digitization of administration
Senator Klaus Lederer (48, Left Party) compensates 100 percent for increases in tariffs for cultural institutions, which protects artistic budgets. The successful admission-free museum Sunday will be continued
Urban development, building, living
Budget (2022/23): 1.2 billion/ 958 million euros
Personnel: plus 14 positions for the housing control center, tenant protection, digitization of plans
Senator Andreas Geisel (56, SPD) has increased the funding for 5,000 social housing units to 740 million euros. Tenants with low and middle incomes benefit (rents 6.60 and 8.20 euros/m²).
Environment, mobility, consumer protection, climate protection
Budget (2022/23): 2.64/ 2.41 billion euros
Personnel: plus 113 new jobs, including climate and nature conservation, mobility
Senator Bettina Jarasch (53, Greens): Finance what can be implemented, i.e. cycle paths where they can be implemented quickly and without XXL conversions. Districts are supported with green oases. With public transport, there are closer intervals, new vehicles and a new BVG on-call bus
Economy, Energy, Businesses
Budget (2022/23): 833/ 816 million euros
Personnel: plus 35 positions for settlements, the creative sector, among other things
Senator Stephan Schwarz (57) weighs 290 million for the restart of the Corona-stricken industries. The BSR is to dispose of more illegal bulky waste (plus 6 million), 20 million flow into new commercial yards for craftsmen.
