Household - City council urges Bund and Land: Old debt regulation now!
The North Rhine-Westphalia City Council urges all political actors in the state and federal levels to take the final steps towards an Old Debts Settlement now. "An Old Debts Settlement for NRW is within reach," said the chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia City Council, Thomas Eiskirch, the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf. "It must come now." However, an end must finally be put to the blackmailing game of the parties involved in the Bund and the Land. In order for a regulation to take effect from 2025, all parties need to move.
The Federal Finance Ministry has already signaled its readiness for participation in an Old Debts Settlement in NRW. However, the necessary funds are not yet planned in the federal budget for the year 2025. "We therefore need a clear political commitment from the Federal Government and all Red-Green parties that the funds will be available when all necessary conditions for the Old Debts Settlement in NRW have been met," demanded Eiskirch.
The Union in the Bund must now come clean
Among these conditions is the need for the Bundestag to clear the way for the necessary constitutional amendment, which makes a federal involvement in Old Debts Settlements in the states possible. "This requires the approval of the Red-Green parties, but also of the CDU and CSU in the Bund," emphasized Euskirch. "CDU and CSU in the Bund must now come clean."
The state government should not "fall back into old patterns shortly before the target and point the finger at the Bund," warned the SPD politician. "It has presented a model for an Old Debts Settlement and must now lead the negotiations over a federal participation to success." Independently of this, the state government should conduct talks with the municipalities as soon as possible about the details of the Old Debts Settlement.
The state government announced in June that it would invest 250 million euros of state money in an Old Debts Settlement in 2025 and declared its readiness to relieve heavily indebted municipalities with a total of 7.5 billion euros over the next 30 years. At the same time, Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) emphasized that such a solution could only be achieved together with the Bund and the municipalities.
20 billion euros in Old Debts in NRW
"We need a sustainable solution for the burdensome communal Old Debts of approximately 20 billion euros in NRW," confirmed Eiskirch. "They rob the affected cities of all maneuverability." They must be freed from immense liquidity credits and the interest risks they entail. In the final stretch for a solution, therefore, "clear commitments from all parties involved" are needed.
- The SDP in North Rhine-Westphalia supports the call for an immediate Old Debts Settlement, urging the state and federal governments to take action.
- The Old Debts Settlement discussions in North Rhine-Westphalia involve the German Press Agency, reporting from cities like Bochum and Düsseldorf.
- The City Conference in North Rhine-Westphalia should also be involved in the negotiations for an Old Debts Settlement, considering the impact on household finances in various communes.
- The Federal Finance Ministry's involvement in the Old Debts Settlement is crucial, as it holds significant financial power, but the availability of funds for 2025 remains uncertain.
- The Union in Germany, specifically the CDU and CSU, need to play a decisive role in the constitutional amendment process for Old Debts Settlements in the states.
- An Old Debts Settlement in North Rhine-Westphalia, totaling approximately 20 billion euros, is essential to provide relief to heavily indebted municipalities, ensuring financial regularity and stability.
- The German government and all political parties must demonstrate a strong commitment towards a sustainable Old Debts Settlement solution, ensuring fair distribution of resources and alleviating the burden on North Rhine-Westphalia's municipalities.
