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Federal budget
The budget © German Bundestag
No budget without a majority vote
The German Bundestag has a decisive say when it comes to money matters. This is evident in the passionate debates about the federal budget, which not only deal with the budgetary plans of the various departments, but also the fundamental political course being pursued by the government.
The Bundestag’s significance in this field is confirmed by a look at the Basic Law. Article 110 states that the German Bundestag has the right to adopt the budget and scrutinise its implementation by the government. Parliament determines the budget in an Act which must disclose all expenditure to be incurred by the Federation. The government only has money to spend and is therefore only capable of acting if it can unite the majority in Parliament behind it.