Newsblog on federal politics: Estimated tax revenues will increase until 2030

For our news blog, in addition to our own research, we use material from the news agencies dpa, Reuters, epd, KNA, and Bloomberg. Important Updates Estimated tax revenues will increase by 2030 Hacker attack on AfD email accounts Merz is worried about carelessness towards Russia Bas resignation: CDU MP from Stetten defends against SPD criticism Union faction deputy Krings: Foreigner's right to vote in Berlin would be unconstitutional Carim Soliman Estimated tax revenues will increase by 2030 The federal government, states, and municipalities can expect slightly more tax revenues in the coming years than previously assumed. According to the Ministry of Finance, the tax estimate for 2027 is 10.9 billion more than expected. This result comes from the working group for tax estimation. The group meets annually in the spring and autumn. It is composed of experts from the federal government, leading economic research institutes, the Federal Statistical Office, the Bundesbank, the advisory council for economic development, as well as states and municipalities. Despite the increased revenues, according to Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, further consolidation is necessary in the federal budget, for which the working group has a surplus of 4.1 billion euros. "For 2027, we gain no new room, but we also don't have to close any new gaps." The basis for the tax estimation is the most recent economic development and laws passed since May with financial implications. The economic forecast has just been corrected upwards by the federal government: for this year, they raised the growth expectation from 0.5 to 1.3 percent, and for next year, they now expect a plus of 1.1 percent instead of 0.9 percent. This result comes from the working group for tax estimation. The group meets annually in the spring and autumn. It is composed of experts from the federal government, leading economic research institutes, the Federal Statistical Office, the Bundesbank, the advisory council for economic development, as well as states and municipalities. Despite the increased revenues, according to Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, further consolidation is necessary in the federal budget, for which the working group has a surplus of 4.1 billion euros. "For 2027, we gain no new room, but we also don't have to close any new gaps." The basis for the tax estimation is the most recent economic development and laws passed since May with financial implications. The economic forecast has just been corrected upwards by the federal government: for this year, they raised the growth expectation from 0.5 to 1.3 percent, and for next year, they now expect a plus of 1.1 percent instead of 0.9 percent. Merz warns about the influence of great powers in the Western Balkans Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) made it clear at a summit in Montenegro that Germany has a genuine interest in further European integration of the Western Balkan states. He said it is a "geopolitical imperative" to move forward in this direction on Thursday afternoon in Sveti Stefan. "The Western Balkans must not become a place where great powers compete for influence." The Chancellor traveled for a day to the Adriatic coastal area to emphasize the importance of the so-called Berlin Process from the German perspective. This process was initiated in 2014, at the initiative of Germany. Against the backdrop of Russia's annexation of Crimea at that time, one of the explicit goals was to support the six Western Balkan states Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia on their path towards the EU. Today, Russia's and China's attempts to expand their influence in the region are also a significant argument for further integration of the Western Balkans into the EU from the German perspective. However, the Berlin Process has proven to be extremely slow for some time. Montenegro alone has come much closer to EU accession. Merz spoke on Thursday about Montenegro being "on the right track". It was time to give the country "very concrete accession prospects". Merz said it should not be "entirely unrealistic" that Montenegro will be the 28th EU member state in 2028. From the outset of the talks, Merz had already made it clear that the EU had "delivered", and now the Western Balkan states had to deliver. The reforms and the political will had to come from them. Furthermore, tensions between the states had to be reduced. Hape Kerkeling: Never get used to the "street jargon" of right-wing populists Comedian Hape Kerkeling called for more hope, courage, and optimism among the people. A strong society does not yield to fear. It has "hope, it sees strength in diversity, it protects the weak. It tirelessly sows confidence and moves forward bravely," Kerkeling said when receiving the Talisman Prize in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main. Right-wing populists tried to gain power. They resort to Kerkeling's "street jargon". "We must never get used to this tone," said the 61-year-old. This is how fascism began. Right-wing populists tried to gain power. They resort to Kerkeling's "street jargon". "We must never get used to this tone," said the 61-year-old. This is how fascism began. "Hatred had a place in our history, and that is why it must not have any more in our future." Hape Kerkeling in the Frankfurt Paulskirche Those who said it wouldn't be so bad, said Kerkeling, made a fatal mistake. "Whoever says today that it's all lost, they are just as wrong." Kerkeling appeals to the citizens: "Stay brave and let's ensure that history does not repeat itself and that it won't get so bad." Kerkeling recently made headlines because people signed a petition in his favor as Federal President. Kerkeling recently made headlines because people signed a petition in his favor as Federal President. Merz calls the accession agreement with Turkey a success story 65 years ago, the Federal Republic and Turkey agreed to the so-called accession agreement. Almost 900,000 people came. Germany became richer, so Friedrich Merz (CDU). In the meantime, the Federal Chancellor criticized in Berlin that fears of foreigners would be stoked again and racist violence would take hold. Merz called the arrival of the so-called guest workers a success story. Germany had become culturally, economically, scientifically, and also culturally richer. In the same time, he emphasized that social progress could be lost again. "Let us use this day to sharpen our vigilance," said the Chancellor. Fear of the foreigner is ideologically infectious. It increases rather than decreases. There is no word for it, said Merz. The term Remigration is an attack on modern Germany, "which we have built." The German-Turkish accession agreement was concluded on October 30, 1961. The federal government reacted by recruiting migrants in the economic miracle years in response to the growing need for labor. Many of those recruited remained and became native in Germany. The community of people with Turkish roots is today the largest group of people with migration background in Germany. The arrival of the so-called guest workers was a success story according to Merz. Germany had become culturally, economically, scientifically, and also culturally richer. In the same time, he emphasized that social progress could be lost again. "Let us use this day to sharpen our vigilance," said the Chancellor. Fear of the foreigner is ideologically infectious. It increases rather than decreases. There is no word for it, said Merz. The term Remigration is an attack on modern Germany, "which we have built." The German-Turkish accession agreement was concluded on October 30, 1961. The federal government reacted by recruiting migrants in the economic miracle years in response to the growing need for labor. Many of those recruited remained and became native in Germany. The community of people with Turkish roots is today the largest group of people with migration background in Germany. Carim Soliman Hacker attack on AfD email accounts According to AfD, data from the party's email accounts were allegedly stolen in a hacker attack. "In September 2026, there was a hacker attack on a hosting provider of our party, where parts of some mailboxes – most of which had not been used for years – were unlawfully copied," the AfD stated in response to a request. Bild had reported this previously. The current email inboxes of the AfD federal association were not affected. A link to a website is circulating on the internet, which displays an alleged overview of around 421,000 emails from the AfD. The anonymous site was only registered in mid-October after investigations by the German Press Agency. It provides no information about the origin of the data and does not publish email contents. These are allegedly on another download server. It is currently unclear whether the emails are authentic or not. The alleged hackers claim that it is data from ten mailboxes, including an account in the name of the former AfD party leader Alexander Gauland and an account that was previously mentioned by the AfD as a contact for the federal office. The AfD stated that the attack was quickly detected and stopped. All users were informed accordingly. "The online publication of some of this data now is being examined," it was said. A first assessment of this can only be given after this examination is complete. Anne Eberhard Physicians: Significantly longer appointment waiting times from 2027 Statutory insured persons must expect longer waiting times for doctor appointments from next year, according to the physicians. The chairman of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, warned in an interview with Bild about a further deterioration of the healthcare situation. "Due to the reduction in funds for outpatient care, the same federal government has already cut more than 50 million appointments in outpatient care," said Gassen. The planned obligation for doctor's offices to report a fixed number of free appointments will not improve the situation in his opinion. "On the contrary: if a fixed quota of appointments to report is set and these are blocked in the practices, they are no longer available to patients in these practices. The appointment shortage will therefore worsen," explained the chairman of the KBV. The KBV has repeatedly pointed out these consequences, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen. The KBV had criticized these consequences repeatedly, he emphasized. A better financial provision for outpatient care is decisive, in his view. "Only if more money is available for outpatient care will there be more appointments. These are relatively easy-to-understand economic dependencies," said Gassen.