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Überschuldete Bundesländer: Ist die Einführung eindeutiger Verschuldungsgrenzen sinnvoll?

Author

Listed:
  • Jürgen Rüttgers
  • Georg Milbradt
  • Helmut Seitz
  • Max Groneck
  • Wolfgang Kitterer
  • Markus C. Kerber

Abstract

Eine zunehmende Zahl von Bundesländern legte in den letzten Jahren verfassungswidrige Haushalte vor, drei Länder klagten gleichzeitig beim Bundesverfassungsgericht Solidargemeinschaftshilfe bei der Bewältigung der Haushaltskrisen ein. Kann die Festlegung von eindeutigen Verschuldungsgrenzen eine Überschuldung verhindern? Nach Ansicht von Jürgen Rüttgers, Ministerpräsident von Nordrhein-Westfalen, sollten die Gebietskörperschaften grundsätzlich einen Haushaltsausgleich ohne Neuverschuldung anstreben. Das sollte sogar als Ziel in die Verfassung aufgenommen werden. Allerdings müsste den Haushalten Möglichkeit zur flexiblen Reaktion auf Veränderungen der Rahmenbedingungen eingeräumt werden, z.B. könnten die Investitionsausgaben – wie bisher – eine Haushaltskenngröße sein. Allerdings sollten Bund und Länder den Begriff »Investition« eng eingrenzen. Georg Milbradt, Ministerpräsident des Freistaates Sachsen, sieht in einem generellen Verschuldungsverbot, das sowohl im Grundgesetz als auch in den Landesverfassungen zu verankern sei, den wirksamsten Schutz. Von einem solchen Verschuldungsverbot dürfte nur in ganz eng definierten Ausnahmefällen – bspw. Naturkatastrophen – abgewichen werden. Helmut Seitz, TU Dresden, hält ebenfalls grundsätzliche Null-Defizit-Vorschriften, wobei diese so auszugestalten wären, dass entstehende Haushaltsfehlbeträge in einem Zeitraum von fünf bis sieben Jahren ausgeglichen werden müssten, für das am besten geeignete Instrument. Max Groneck und Wolfgang Kitterer, Universität zu Köln, ziehen die Abschaffung der »goldenen Regel« als Kreditgrenze in Betracht. Vorzuziehen wären, ihrer Meinung nach, klare quantitative Grenzen der Staatsverschuldung wie im Europäischen Stabilitätspakt, ihre ebenso quantitativ bestimmte Umsetzung auf der Ebene der Bundesländer und eine Sanktionsregelung im Falle von Überschreitungen der Grenzen. Markus C. Kerber, TU Berlin, schlägt dagegen bei einer Überschuldung der Bundesländer die zeitweise Übertragung der Zuständigkeit für die öffentliche Finanzwirtschaft an einen kommissarisch tätigen Finanzkurator und eine Überprüfung der »Politik-Performance« der Landesregierungen vor.

Suggested Citation

  • Jürgen Rüttgers & Georg Milbradt & Helmut Seitz & Max Groneck & Wolfgang Kitterer & Markus C. Kerber, 2007. "Überschuldete Bundesländer: Ist die Einführung eindeutiger Verschuldungsgrenzen sinnvoll?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 60(02), pages 03-19, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifosdt:v:60:y:2007:i:02:p:03-19
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Schulden; Öffentliche Schulden; Haushaltsdefizit; Öffentlicher Haushalt; Deutschland;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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