North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has expressed disappointment regarding the lack of detailed agreement in Berlin between the governing coalition on measures to alleviate the financial burden on municipalities.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Wüst acknowledged the Coalition Committee’s reaffirmation of the federal government’s responsibility to resolve the issue of outstanding municipal debts. However, he stated, “Unfortunately, there has been no progress on the matter”. He emphasized that to overcome the investment backlog facing many municipalities, those most heavily indebted must be empowered to utilize funds from the special fund effectively.
According to Wüst, this requires a reliable path out of the debt trap. “Municipalities financially overwhelmed by outstanding debts do not have the resources to plan and execute the renovation of schools, kindergartens, or hospitals” he explained.
Wüst further stated that the issue of outstanding debts is fundamentally about trust in political leadership and the ability of the state to act effectively at the local level. He urged Finance Minister Christian Lindner to fulfill the federal government’s commitment before the North Rhine-Westphalia municipal elections, the largest regional election in Europe with approximately 14 million eligible voters and an early indicator of public sentiment towards the new federal government.
Wüst cautioned that disappointment over unfulfilled promises could ultimately lead to electoral gains for populist and extremist parties, particularly in the Ruhr region. He reiterated that during inter-state negotiations, the coalition had pledged to consult on the concrete implementation of the outstanding debt relief. He expects the Federal Finance Minister to promptly address this and present concrete outlines. “Before the end of the summer break, clarity and binding commitments are needed for the municipalities” Wüst concluded.