Mayor Nino Haase and Deputy Mayor and Finance Director Daniel Köbler view the approval of the budget in principle as a success for the city’s consolidation efforts: “The fact that the city was able to submit a budget eligible for approval to the local government oversight authority is the result of a joint effort by politicians and administrators. It sends a clear signal to citizens and employees that the city has made the right decisions and has therefore remained capable of acting. However, the persistently high deficit shows that there is still a long way to go toward budget consolidation. The city will do its part, but at the same time, the federal and state governments must finally initiate reforms and adopt immediate measures. Without decisive action by the federal and state governments, local governments in Germany cannot avert their financial crisis."

The city is therefore inviting the press to a press conference on Thursday.