The German government said it expects to reach an agreement on the 2024 budget before the end of the year, as the coalition parties seek to resolve how to plug major budget holes. When asked about whether a Cabinet decision can be expected this month, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said on Wednesday: “I am confident of that.” Whether a debate in the Germany’s upper and lower houses of parliament, the Bundestag and Bundesrat, is still possible within that time frame depends on when the coalition parties reach their agreement, he added. Hebestreit said that he could not commit himself t…