In their annual economic report the government still assumed a rate of 2.9 percent. Oppositional politicians have criticized the government's budget plans. SPD finance expert Ingrid Matthaeus-Maier called the budget drafts the desperate attempt of the government to survive with patches and emergency operations. Ms. Matthaeus-Maier called Finance Minister Waigel a Debt Minister who is close to bankruptcy. The government itself was responsible for the disturbance of the economic balance at large.
Storms cause millions of marks worth of damage Munich.
Fierce storms with heavy rain and hail have caused millions of marks worth of damage in Bavaria. Many farmhouses were struck by lightening and burnt down. The bus had a head-on collision with a motorcar, whose driver apparently had skidded. Chemical accident at BASF Ludwigshafen. A spokesman for the firm said that about 50 kg of polyethylene wax had been accidentally released, but this product was not harmful for people or the environment and could be washed off without problem using water.