It took months of political wrangling for Germany’s ruling coalition to reach an agreement on a 2024 budget proposal. But the compromise they introduced has set alarm bells ringing in development circles and beyond.
The proposal, announced last month, introduced deep cuts across the board — except for the defense ministry. German development organizations are outraged at the proposed 5% reduction in the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development’s budget, from €12.2 billion ($13.4 billion) this year to €11.5 billion in 2024. The ministry’s budget is projected to fall even further in the coming years — down to €10.3 billion in 2025, with a slight increase to €10.4 billion in 2026 and 2027.
There is also deep concern about the proposal to cut €1.1 billion from the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s budget for humanitarian assistance, according to an analysis by SEEK Development’s Donor Tracker.