Cologne Implements Immediate Spending Freeze Amid €582M Budget Deficit

Cologne's new mayor calls the budget situation 'dramatic'. The Green Party supports the freeze to tackle the city's financial crisis.

, and Administrator

2025 November 4 . 11:22 PM

1 min read

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Cologne Lifts Budget Freeze - Cologne Implements Immediate Spending Freeze Amid €582M Budget Deficit

Cologne has implemented an immediate spending freeze due to a significant budget deficit. The city's expected deficit for 2025 has soared to around €582 million, €182.5 million more than initially estimated. Only essential expenditures are permitted under the freeze, which will initially last until the end of the year.

The primary causes of the larger deficit are increased costs in social welfare and youth services, along with stagnant business tax revenue. Cologne's new mayor, Torsten Burmester, described the budget situation as 'dramatic' and the freeze as an 'unavoidable' step. The Green Party, the largest faction on the city council, supports the budget freeze decision. Kirsten Jahn, a co-chair of the Green Party in Cologne, is expected to play a significant role in navigating the city through these financial challenges.

Cologne's spending freeze is a response to a dramatic budget deficit, with increased social welfare costs and stagnant business tax revenue being the primary causes. The Green Party supports the decision, and the city's new mayor describes the situation as unavoidable. The freeze will initially last until the end of the year, with only essential expenditures permitted.