Sachsen-Anhalt Extends Corona Emergency Declaration to Access €790 Million Pandemic Funds

Sachsen-Anhalt has declared a Corona emergency for the seventh consecutive year, enabling the state to bypass debt restrictions and access up to €790 million from the Corona special fund. This move allows the continuation of financing for projects including clinic renovations and digitalization despite the pandemic officially being over. The state government argues that many pandemic consequences remain unresolved and requires funding for pandemic resilience measures.

Although the nationwide 7-day incidence rate is low at 11.1, opposition parties such as the AfD, FDP, and Left have criticized the declaration. FDP's Konstantin Pott expressed doubts about the effectiveness and timeliness of the fund usage, while AfD's Jan Moldenhauer called the decision a "brazen budget trick" imposing debt on future generations. Left finance expert Kristin Heiß accused the government of using the emergency primarily to cover delayed or poorly planned projects, refusing to support the measure. Green politician Olaf Meister described the decision as "reality satire."

The Corona special fund initially amounted to about €2 billion, with over €1 billion spent by October 2025 and further hundreds of millions allocated for 2026. Starting in 2029, Sachsen-Anhalt plans to repay the debt at €100 million annually. Unlike most other federal states planning to end their emergency by 2024, Sachsen-Anhalt continues its emergency status to circumvent the debt brake until 2026, based on a cabinet decision endorsed in early December.

This ongoing state of emergency underscores the tensions between fiscal management and pandemic-era spending in German regional politics as the government seeks to balance investment needs with opposition scrutiny.