After severe cuts to the 2024 budgets for development and humanitarian aid, the German government is planning to slash funds again in 2025.
A recently released draft budget spells out nearly €1 billion in cuts to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, or BMZ, from €11.22 billion ($12.36 billion) this year to €10.28 billion in 2025. The proposed cuts to humanitarian aid are even more drastic, with plans to slash spending by more than 50% — from €2.23 billion in 2024 to €1.04 billion next year.
The German Parliament, known as the Bundestag, must still sign off on the budget, which will happen before the end of the year. But experts said parties are likely to lock their priorities in place over the coming days.