Federal Finance Minister Jörg Kukies has defended the spending plans of the CDU/CSU and SPD in Brussels. Strengthening growth and increasing spending are „two sides of the same coin,“ said the SPD politician ahead of a meeting of the Euro Group. „Both are mutually dependent.“ The measures in the exploratory paper would strengthen the potential growth of the German economy, therefore the spending path, which is permissible under the Stability and Growth Pact, could also be higher.