Implementation of the amended debt brake of the Basic Law into state constitutional law

The Hamburg citizenship decided on changes to implement the reformed debt brake in two roll-call votes. The background is a change to the Basic Law from 2025, which will allow the states to take out limited structural borrowing in the future. In the first vote (on Article 1) an amendment to the Hamburg constitution was decided. This makes it clear that the budget can fundamentally continue to be balanced without any new debt. In the future, however, this principle will also be considered fulfilled if Hamburg takes out loans in the amount that is permissible for the states as a whole according to a federal law that has yet to be passed. In a second vote (on Article 2), the citizens decided to make a corresponding adjustment to the state budget regulations. This ensures that borrowing will also be possible in the future within the framework of the new structural debt permitted by federal law. Attention: The voting results for Article 1 of the proposal from the SPD and GREENS factions are shown here. Article 1 of the motion was adopted by 104 votes in favour, 10 against and no abstentions. Article 2 was adopted by 105 votes in favor to 10 against, with no abstentions. Addendum: Both articles were passed in the second reading at the next meeting on July 16, 2025 and thus finally with 106 yes votes to 9 no votes.