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In the heart of Bremen's business district, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce host a panel on February 4, 2025. This gathering brought together Bundestag candidates from the city and state of Bremen to address questions about the port industry from industry experts. Though answers were given, key concerns linger like a thick fog on the Bremen coast.
Moderated by Olaf Orb, responsible for location policy, ports, and traffic at the Chamber, he opened with the sentiment, "Ports represent respect, value creation, and tax revenue." Yet, establishing crucial contacts in Berlin for Bremen's ports has been a tall order so far. The discussion then revolved around, "What's the status in Bremen? How does this federal state make its voice heard in federal politics?"
Diverse panel representatives
Among the politicians grilled were Dr. Volker Redder, FDP Bundestag member and candidate, Doris Achterwillm, a former Left member in the Bundestag now seeking re-election, Thomas Röwekamp, CDU member of the Bundestag and Bremen's party leader, Uwe Schmidt, SPD member from Bremerhaven, and Dr. Emanuel Herold, a member of the Greens in Bremen's Citizens' Assembly. A democratic balance was maintained. Guests eagerly awaited the candidates' individual stances.
The Bremen Chamber of Commerce, BHV - Bremen Port and Logistics Representation, ISH – Initiative Stadtbremische Haefen, Wirtschaftsverband Weser, Verein Bremer Spediteure, and GVZ Entwicklungsgesellschaft jointly organized the informal discussion. Despite numerous criticisms and priorities set last year, little progress has been made.
What constitutes a convincing lifeline for Bremen's ports?
Port industry as Bremen's business card
Around 39,000 jobs in Bremen's port and logistics sector reflect the industry's significance. Both questioners and respondents agreed that port policy must remain a crucial task for the future yet faces considerable challenges.
For instance, adapting the outer and northern Unterweser, deepening Bremerhaven's quays for giant container ships worldwide, updating the port infrastructure for modern automatic crane handling, and developing the Energy Port as a climate-friendly energy and equipment transshipment point are essential investments needed.
Is little Bremen not of systemic importance?
Unable to finance these projects alone, the federal government's stronger support is necessary. Berlin shows resistance, and the perception of Bremen and its environs as system-irrelevant by the federal government and other federal states is growing. It's a question of survival for the city-state of Bremen.
Representatives of the economy, like former Chamber of Commerce President Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht, directly criticized Berlin politicians in Bremen as not pushing hard enough. "Real, tangible results are still lacking," Dubbers-Albrecht stated.
The discussion's opening astonished with the first topic: "How do you stand on river adaptation?" Achterwillm from the Left named the Lower Weser deepening as "economically indispensable." Herold from the Greens explicitly declared, "We will not stand in the way of this." Redder concluded, "Not to deepen would not be wise," and all agreed. They also concurred that the 38 million euros provided by the federal government for the harbor strategy is a joke.
Entrepreneurs and actors in the harbor and logistics industries yearn for leaders who will "wholeheartedly advocate for Bremen in Berlin." Past efforts, according to the Chamber of Commerce, have been more like faint signals. This situation must change immediately: "We must put real pressure on them. Not least, the Bremen harbors have a significant employment impact nationwide," stressed Kai Stührenberg. "Without harbors, there's no energy transition."
Dr. Emanuel Herold from the Greens: "We will not stand in the way of this."
The need for action
Responses were expected but unsatisfying. Visionary solutions were scarce. Instead, it was mostly a recitation of well-known hurdles. For example, Schmidt on slow project implementations: "The timeframes are far too long. I'm close to my breaking point. This must be done faster. On our part, everything has been on the table for a long time." The problem isn't new.
Often, it was more about revealing the tricks needed to fight for funding in Berlin. Thomas Röwekamp illustrated how mutual favors can boost Bremen's weight in the capital: "Whenever our votes in the Bundestag committees can add a few percentage points, suddenly they're ready to support not just the railroads or the highway network, but also the harbors." There was little belief that this would change anytime soon.
- The panel discussion at Bremen Chamber of Commerce, focusing on policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news, saw representatives from different parties expressing concerns about Bremen's port industry, particularly the need for federal support to address crucial investments in port adaptation, infrastructure, and climate-friendly energy transshipment.
- Despite agreeing on the importance of port policy, the discussion revealed a sense of disillusionment among panelists and guests, as little progress has been made despite numerous criticisms and priorities set last year, and there appears to be resistance from the federal government in providing the necessary support for Bremen's ports.
