Country against partner - Expo lawsuit: court sees little chance of success
In dispute over the financing of the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion at the Expo 2020 in Dubai, the court has raised doubts about the chances of success for the damage claim of the state. A spokeswoman of the Stuttgart Regional Court stated that the chamber had come to the preliminary legal opinion that the claim had little chance of success.
The approximately 15 million Euro Baden-Württemberg House at the Expo in Dubai was originally supposed to be responsible for three partners: the Chamber of Engineers, Fraunhofer, and the Freiburg Economic, Touristic and Fair (FWTM). The building was supposed to be built with sponsor funds and was therefore marketed as a "project from the economy for the economy." The state was initially only supposed to politically support the project and only contribute 2.8 million Euros for the exhibition, but had to pay for the majority of the Pavilion construction costs due to necessity.
The state wants to establish in this proceeding that the partners were obligated to reimburse it for all costs that arose and will arise in connection with the implementation of the project.
The focus of the proceedings is a declaration given by the managing director of the Chamber of Engineers to the Ministry of Economics. In it, he confirmed to the Ministry that the economic risk for the realization of the Baden-Württemberg House at the Expo lay exclusively with the project partners.
However, from the court's perspective, the man probably did not have the authority to make such a declaration. It was hardly discernible from the records that he was authorized to represent Fraunhofer and the FWTM.
The attorney for the Chamber of Engineers also pointed out that it could only be represented by the board of directors through its own signature or a power of attorney of the board president. Neither was present in this case. "Who besides the Ministry of Economics should know that the Chamber of Engineers can only be represented by the board?", asked the attorney.
The state now has three more weeks to respond in writing to the proceedings. A decision on the claim will be announced by the court on September 17.
The dispute over the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion at the Expo 2020 in Dubai involves the Government of Baden-Württemberg and its partners, including the Chamber of Engineers, Fraunhofer, and the Freiburg Economic, Touristic and Fair (FWTM). The Governor of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, expressed his concerns about the finances of the project during a visit to Stuttgart, indicating that the economic policy surrounding the Expo needs to be reviewed. The BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) is also involved in the process, as they were supposed to provide financial support for the project. The fate of the approximately 15 million Euro Baden-Württemberg House hangs in the balance of the court proceedings, with doubts raised about the chances of success for the state's damage claim. The case has sparked interest in Fribourg, Switzerland, where many companies from Baden-Württemberg have business connections.
