Bremen – Bremen is considered to be the poor house of the nation. We have been dependent on the state financial equalization scheme for decades.
Dietmar Strehl (65, Greens) has been Senator for Finance for two years. He studied maths, was federal treasurer of the eco-party and eight years state council under ex-Senator Linnert.
In BILD he makes Kassensturz.
PICTURE: Senator Strehl, if the state of Bremen were a company – would you then have to file for bankruptcy?
Dietmar Strehl: “When I took office, I set off the debts and the state’s own assets against each other. All real estate and all other values add up to a sum less than the debt burden. I would have to file for bankruptcy. But Bremen is like half of Europe. However, our state has a very good rating. We get loans on good terms. “
PICTURE: What about in the cash register?
Strehl: „We have around 23 billion euros in debt that we are currently not paying back. What is depressing is the interest burden of around 600 million euros that we pay to our creditors every year. Due to the current low interest rates, the amount is falling from year to year. But it remains a big problem. “
PICTURE: The budget for 2022/23 is in place.
Strehl: “For the city-state it is 6.4 billion euros for 2022 and 6.6 billion euros for 2023. To this end, we have set up a Bremen fund totaling 1.2 billion euros as Corona aid. It’s a loan that we have to repay within 30 years. “
The father of a daughter has been a member of the Greens since 1982
PICTURE: How high are the tax losses due to Corona?
Strehl: “For 2020 it was around 400 million euros. We expect around 300 million euros annually by 2024, which are missing from the state treasury due to the pandemic. “
PICTURE: The baby boomer generation is about to retire, including many civil servants …
Strehl: „We already pay around 480 million pensions annually. The high increase in recent years is over. The total is stagnating at a high level. There won’t be much fewer civil servants in the next few years – In view of the shortage of skilled workers, for example among teachers, we have to continue to employ civil servants in order to be competitive.”
PICTURE: Bremen wants to bring 100 relatives of Syrian refugees to Bremen. Is there another threat of poverty immigration?
Strehl: „Syrian refugees are often already well educated. They work and pay taxes here. Of course there is also poverty immigration. Bremen has established a very successful training program for the successful integration of young refugees into the labor market. Incidentally, Bremen intends to provide EU funds of up to 52 million euros for training associations. “
PICTURE: How does the finance senator invest his money?
Strehl: “I’m paying off a loan for our house. Put money in solar panels. I do not own bitcoins or securities. I might get into stocks when I retire. “
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