Bremerhaven defends itself against austerity commissioner: dispute breaks out with Bremen!

Bremerhaven defends itself against austerity commissioner: dispute breaks out with Bremen!

In a heated discussion about the planned financial supervision law, Bremerhaven once again shows its combative side. The Greens in Bremerhaven vehemently reject the Bremen Senate's plan, while the Bremen state executive and the Green Party's parliamentary group support the initiative. Franziska Tell, spokeswoman for the Green Party state executive, describes the law as a necessary step towards clear rules. In contrast, Claudius Kaminiarz, the leader of the Green Party in Bremerhaven, warns against excessive interference from Bremen in the political fortunes of the Seestadt and considers the law to be neither expedient nor necessary, as [butenunbinnen.de](https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/bremerhaven-gruene-spar Commissioner-streit-bremen-100.html) reports.

But the Financial Supervision Act has far-reaching consequences: It provides for the possibility of appointing a so-called “savings commissioner” if Bremerhaven does not submit a correct budget. Bremerhaven is expressly mentioned in the law, which applies to both Bremen municipalities. However, there are major concerns about this measure in Bremerhaven itself.

Financial worries and challenges

Martin Günthner, Bremerhaven's head of social affairs and SPD sub-district leader, also criticizes Bremen's financial support for the city of Bremen. Bremerhaven is struggling with a high unemployment rate of 14.1%, while Bremen is at 11%. In contrast to Bremen, Bremerhaven spends more money on social expenses and records personnel expenses of around 40% of the budget, which corresponds to almost 1 billion euros. Despite a difficult financial situation, Bremerhaven has been living beyond its means for years, according to many experts. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the former Green Finance Senator Karoline Linnert made preparations for Bremerhaven's debt relief of 1.7 billion euros as early as 2018, which took effect in 2020, which was a positive development, as [bremensosicht.com](https://bremensosicht.com/20251030-bremerhaven-bremen-spar kommmissier-stadtgeschichte/) highlights.

The current financial situation of the entire state of Bremen is also worrying: Bremen has the highest debt of all federal states at 23.8 billion euros and is dependent on 925 million euros annually from the state financial equalization and 400 million euros in special aid from the federal government. It becomes clear here that not only Bremerhaven, but also Bremen itself is under pressure to get its finances under control.

Municipal debt in focus

The situation in Bremerhaven is also reflected in the nationwide municipal financial situation. According to a response from the federal government to a major question from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, the total debt of municipalities in Germany last year was 134.3 billion euros, an increase compared to previous years. This fact could exacerbate pressing questions about the financial health of cities and towns across Germany. Bremerhaven could be an example for many who are struggling with similar challenges, as documented by bundestag.de.

Considering all of these aspects, it remains to be seen how the discussion about the Financial Supervision Act will develop and whether Bremerhaven will actually face a savings commissioner. The tension in the Seestadt is rising and the citizens are excited to see what decisions will be made in the coming weeks.