A “resounding slap in the face” for Friedrich Merz, says FOCUS online chief correspondent Ulrich Reitz. In private, says Reitz, you would Word “misused” probably replace it with another: “at least embezzlement, if not fraud.” He emphasizes: “We are talking about gigantic billions of dollars.”

Tricks with special funds: “Scoundrels” with tax money

The promise of the federal government and Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) a year ago was to bring “roads, rails and schools into shape.”

Behind the institute’s publications there is now an accusation that politicians deliberately made this promise wrong. There is also the possibility that taxpayers’ tax money is being used for “rogue” purposes.

The Junge Union (JU) warned of this disaster as early as March 2025. Reitz quotes a statement: “We need clear definitions of the terms infrastructure and investment. The description made in the exploratory paper corresponds to the motto: Everything but animal feed. And leads to great legal and planning uncertainty.“

Merz and Klingbeil under pressure

Merz and KlingbeilAccording to Reitz, they “coldly exploited a loophole in politics” to get billions from the special fund. Lars Klingbeil is now the operationally responsible person, because the finance minister “is where the money lies”.

However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as the holder of directive authority, made the biggest promises and is therefore the main person responsible. “It’s terrible,” complains Ulrich Reitz. “A marshalling yard costing billions is simply unreasonable for citizens.”

A quick processing and a heated political debate with the resulting clear transparency and rules for the responsible handling of the special fund are now absolutely necessary.