Palace party engrossment sought at lowered expenses by OB Nopper - how to pull it off?
Stuttgart, the vibrant city in southern Germany, is gearing up for a lively New Year's Eve celebration in 2025/2026, despite the financial challenges that many cities are facing.
Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) has proposed holding the central New Year's Eve celebration on the Schlossplatz in a reduced and more cost-effective version. This decision comes as the city of Berlin has cancelled its New Year's Eve celebration due to cost reasons, and the ruling mayor Kai Wegger confirmed that Berlin is no longer financing such events.
Alexander Kotz, chairman of the Stuttgart CDU faction, considers the proposal to be "reasonable". However, the Stuttgart CDU faction will only make a final decision once the concept and figures are presented. Hannes Rockenbauch, faction speaker of the Left Alliance, wants to "take a close look at the numbers" before making a decision.
The Free Voters, led by Rose von Stein, emphasize the importance of maintaining a peaceful New Year's Eve in Stuttgart. They have voiced their support for the New Year's Eve party on the Schlossplatz, but have also requested state financial support to help bear the costs. The FDP city councilor and MdL Friedrich Haag supports the New Year's Eve party on the Schlossplatz, but in a scaled-down form due to the budget situation. Haag also demands that the state should contribute to the financial burden, "even if only through the free provision of the areas on the Schlossplatz".
Petra Rühle, the faction leader of the Greens, does not see a possibility of financing a New Year's Eve event on the Schlossplatz this year due to the current budget situation. She also considers a cost-sharing contribution from the state of Baden-Württemberg as "more than unlikely". Sebastian Engelmann, spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, states that the city has not yet officially approached them regarding the New Year's Eve celebration.
Last year, around 15,000 people celebrated in Stuttgart on the Schlossplatz. The peaceful course of the celebration pleased the authorities, police, and fire brigade. The city's event company In.Stuttgart has not yet committed any artists for the New Year's Eve celebration due to lack of official approval.
It is noteworthy that Stuttgart appears to be planning multiple New Year's Eve events and celebrations for 2025, including parties and fireworks, suggesting no major cancellation or scaling down. Furthermore, no available sources mention if the state of Baden-Württemberg will co-finance Stuttgart's New Year's Eve festivities.
In contrast to Berlin's cost-related cancellation or scaling down, Stuttgart shows active event promotion for the New Year's Eve period, indicating a vibrant celebration rather than reduction. There is no official announcement or publicized decision regarding state financial support for these events. Thus, it seems that Stuttgart is proceeding with normal or even enhanced celebrations independently.
[1] Source: Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, SWR
Amid the financial struggles facing various cities, Stuttgart's policy-and-legislation surrounding the New Year's Eve celebration is a topic of interest, with the city considering a more cost-effective alternative on the Schlossplatz.
The Free Voters and FDP city councilor Friedrich Haag have advocated for state financial support to help ease the financial burden of the New Year's Eve party, citing politics and the need for general-news coverage.
