Reuters: No Exact Timeline For Budget Talks

Reuters reporting that a German government spokesperson cannot give an "exact timeline" for budget talks designed to plug a 17-billion-euro hole in the budget blown by a constitutional court ruling last month

• The talks are ongoing in Berlin, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck cancelling a scheduled trip to the COP28 climate conference at the request of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “in order to make further progress in the talks on the 2024 budget following the ruling of the Constitutional Court,” according to a statement from the ministry yesterday.
• Bloomberg reports that, "Scholz, Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats had talks on Sunday evening and are expected to continue them throughout the week."
• Reuters reports that Linder told Funke media group on Saturday that, "Germany needs to cut social spending, international spending and some subsidies to fill the 17 billion euro ($18.50 billion) gap in its 2024 budget," a proposal which appeared to have been rejected by Habeck, who said in response, it was "not a contribution to solve the problem."
• Habeck, more positively, told ARD yesterday the coalition is, “well on the way" to an agreement: “I can’t speak for everyone, but I repeat that I believe we are making good progress. It is a laborious process, that is clear, but it is making progress."
• The Budget Committee is scheduled to meet December 5 to hold a public hearing on the supplemental budget.