The concerns of the municipalities regarding the accommodation of refugees also dominated the general assembly of the German Association of Cities at the end. In addition, the delegates re-elected Mayor Lewe from Münster as President.
In the dispute over more money from the federal government for the care of refugees, North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has prepared the municipalities for difficult negotiations. “We will talk to the federal government about an interim status at the prime ministers’ conference in June,” said Wüst on Thursday at the general meeting of the German Association of Cities in Cologne. “By then, key points must be established as to how we can return to reliable, breathing federal funding.”
According to the further schedule that the federal and state governments agreed on at the refugee summit a good two weeks ago, decisions on the future distribution of costs are to be made in November. “I’m not fooling anyone here,” said Wüst. “As far as the situation in the federal government is concerned, including financially, in my opinion the decision does not yet mean: Yes, we will have something.” There is still a lot of work and talks to be had before November.
The federal government has already promised that
At the refugee summit for this year, the federal government had pledged an additional billion euros for the care of refugees. But this is not satisfactory, said Wüst. “The central question – the structural financial support of the municipalities – we have not received sufficient answers.”
On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not meet the demands of the municipalities for sustainable financial help in the care of refugees during a visit to the town council general meeting. The federal government is doing its share of support, he emphasized.
That’s what the City Day demands
At the end of their three-day general meeting, around 1,300 delegates and guests adopted a “Cologne Declaration”. Among other things, they demanded more creative freedom from the federal and state governments in the implementation of municipal tasks. “The cities themselves know best how to carry out their tasks. They don’t need the strings attached to the subsidy programs, but rather a higher share of the tax revenue,” the statement said.
The Lord Mayor of Münster, Markus Lewe (CDU), will remain President of the German Association of Cities for the next two years. The delegates confirmed him in office on Thursday. Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung (SPD) was re-elected as Vice President. In addition, there is now a second vice-president in Bonn’s Mayor Katja Dörner (Greens). According to its own statements, the German Association of Cities represents around 3,200 cities and communities with around 53 million inhabitants.
Source: Stern
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