73 German cities demand €32 billion to avert public service collapse
Senior officials from cities and districts across Germany—including Mainz—have appealed to the Chancellor and other policymakers in an open letter. The coalition "For the Dignity of Our Cities" warns: "Every day, we lose another piece of our ability to act."
Local leaders illustrate their plight with stark examples. Potholes, some years old and growing deeper, go unrepaired. "Some of us see students leaving school during breaks just to use the toilet at home because school facilities are in an unbearable state," the letter states.
The municipalities are demanding net financial relief of nearly €32 billion per year—a figure matching the €31.9 billion deficit recorded by the Federal Statistical Office in last year's local government budgets.
Financial Crisis and Its Political Fallout
The letter also sounds the alarm over the social consequences of fiscal strain. The authors draw a direct line between a municipality's budgetary woes and electoral outcomes: "It is no coincidence that populists and extremists achieve their strongest results where local financial distress is most severe. There is a clear, scientifically documented link between a municipality's budget situation and its residents' propensity to vote for extremist parties."
The coalition urges the federal and state governments to take immediate action to end the structural underfunding of local authorities. "For the Dignity of Our Cities" unites 73 municipalities across eight states, home to around 10 million people. Many members face acute challenges from economic restructuring, with shrinking tax revenues and soaring social welfare costs.
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