Protesters Call for Improved Financial System: Demonstration Outside Party Headquarters in Berlin
The action alliance "For the Dignity of Our Cities" (Aktionsbündnis „Für die Würde unserer Städte“) has called on the German federal government to address the financial challenges faced by cities and municipalities, with a focus on improving municipal financial support. The alliance, comprising mayors, treasurers, and other representatives from financially struggling municipalities, recently staged a demonstration in Berlin to send a clear signal to the federal government.
The key demands of the action alliance are aimed at strengthening the financial autonomy and sustainability of local governments. These demands include:
1. **Significant Increase in Federal Financial Support**: The alliance calls for a substantial rise in the funds that the federal government allocates directly or indirectly to municipalities, including more generous and reliable financial transfers to compensate for structural deficits and increased expenditures.
2. **Establishing a Solid, Long-Term Financial Framework**: The alliance demands a legally binding, sustainable framework that guarantees municipalities stable funding over the long term, protecting them from short-term political budget cuts or economic fluctuations.
3. **Relieving Municipal Debt Burdens**: They urge the federal government to assist cities in reducing their accumulated debts, either through debt forgiveness, restructuring support, or additional funds earmarked for debt reduction.
4. **Fairer Distribution of Tax Revenues**: The alliance seeks reforms in the division of tax revenues between the federal, state, and municipal levels to grant cities a fairer share of the revenues generated from economic growth and taxation.
5. **Increased Investment in Infrastructure and Public Services**: Demand for enhanced federal investment programs specifically aimed at modernizing municipal infrastructure (e.g., schools, roads, public transport) and supporting essential public services.
6. **Recognition of Municipal Responsibilities in Federal Legislation**: They want federal laws and policies to explicitly acknowledge and consider the financial needs of municipalities when imposing new mandates or standards on local governments.
The action alliance believes that these demands are essential to ensure municipalities have the economic means to serve their communities effectively, protect urban dignity, and meet growing social and infrastructural challenges. The representatives aimed to draw attention to the growing financial crisis of cities and municipalities, with the tendency to vote for extremist parties observed in some cities due to financial distress.
The event's motto was "Who orders the music, must also pay for it," and it was accompanied by musical performances from the band It's live. The federal government is now expected to provide concrete solutions for cities and municipalities, with the planned special fund of 500 billion euros by CDU/CSU and SPD expected to include more than 100 billion euros directly for municipalities.
The alliance also proposes to halve the number of funding programs and pay out more funds directly to the municipalities, aiming to simplify funding programs due to many municipalities' inability to draw on funding due to complex and time-consuming application procedures. The alliance is pressing for urgent reform of municipal financial policy, with the aim of securing a sustainable future for cities and municipalities in Germany.
The action alliance has emphasized the need for the federal government to attend to the financial hardships of cities and municipalities by implementing a solid, long-term financial framework, substantially increasing federal financial support, and fairly distributing tax revenues. They believe that these measures are crucial to ensure municipalities can maintain their urban dignity and address growing social and infrastructural challenges, while also preventing the rise of extremist parties due to financial distress. The alliance calls for these demands to be prioritized in policy-and-legislation and general news discussions about the future of cities and municipalities in Germany.
