German Council of Ministers Contemplates Withdrawing from German-Ticket Partnership
In a letter to Economics and Transport Minister Wolfgang Blank and Minister President Manuela Schwesig, Stefan Sternberg, the district administrator of Ludwigslust-Parchim, has raised concerns about the financing of the Germany ticket. Sternberg, a member of the SPD, criticizes the current financial framework as unsustainable and warns of a possible withdrawal of the district from the ticket if a fairer distribution of revenues is not established.
The transport company of the circle (VLP) has been providing services in connection with the Germany ticket, but these services are not remunerated, posing a threat to the company's existence. As a result, the VLP had a deficit of 2.7 million euros in 2024 due to the Germany ticket, and this year's deficit is estimated to be 3 million euros.
Sternberg argues that the financing is unfair because the transport company does not receive any revenues from the Germany ticket corresponding to the services provided. He is not alone in his concerns, as CDU district council member and state parliamentarian, Wolfgang Waldmüller, has also expressed support for Sternberg's stance.
Waldmüller believes the current financial framework poses a threat to the state's mobility offensive and the continued recognition of the Germany ticket in the district. He demands that the state government finds a short-term way to fairly distribute the total revenues from the Germany ticket.
The CDU has also stated that the current financing of the Germany ticket is not sustainable. Jan Redmann, a CDU politician, has expressed his support for SPD district president Stefan Sternberg regarding the uneven financing of the Germany ticket.
In a move to address these concerns, a special conference of the transport ministers of the federal states is scheduled for this Thursday. The conference aims to discuss the price development of the Germany ticket, which has been a topic of discussion since mid-September 2025. Sternberg expects a binding statement from the state government by 1 October on the distribution of revenues from the Germany ticket and the refinancing of the deficit.
The district council may have no other choice, according to Waldmüller, if a clear timetable for revenue distribution is not established. He mentions the possibility of withdrawing the district from the 58-euro ticket if a sustainable solution for a fairer distribution of revenues is not found. The issue remains a pressing concern for both the district administrator and the district council member, who are advocating for a fairer share of the Germany ticket revenues for the transport company of the circle.
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