Lawsuit against the merger of the Volksbanks in Jever: procedural errors discovered!

Lawsuit against the merger of the Volksbanks in Jever: procedural errors discovered!

In the last few days, the waves have been rising in the cooperative landscape around the Volksbanks Jever, Varel and Butjadingen. Critics of the upcoming merger are alarmed and are preparing a lawsuit. However, an official submission is still pending as we are waiting for the minutes of the representative meeting on June 26th NWZ Online reported. A representative, Ottmar Kasdorf, confirmed that around 25 representatives are in coordination to prepare these legal steps.

The main aim of the lawsuit is to have the legality of the controversial second vote clarified in court. Critics see this vote as a violation of cooperative law and basic democratic principles. The merger to form the new Volksbank Jade-Weser is scheduled to officially take place on September 1, 2025. The merger is not just a theoretical construct: the new bank has around 85,000 customers, 42,200 members and has total assets of around 2.7 billion euros, as the figures show. In addition, around 406 employees work in 15 locations in the Friesland and Wesermarsch districts.

Dispute over procedural errors

In the discussion about the merger votes, the focus is primarily on the results of the two votes. While Jever achieved 70.7 percent in the first vote and 80.9 percent in the second, the votes in Varel-Nordenham and Butjadingen-Abbehausen resulted in even higher approval rates of 96.7 and 98.2 percent, respectively. But despite these majorities, critics are dissatisfied with the partial procedural deficiencies that are said to have occurred in the second vote. In particular, undue influence by people who are not entitled to vote is denounced.

The financial aspects of the lawsuit are also relevant: The legal costs were estimated at between 8,000 and 12,000 euros and should be covered by supporters of the lawsuit. However, Michael Demuth, a specialist lawyer for cooperative law, expresses himself calmly and sees no serious points that contradict a challenge. The legal framework for mergers is clearly regulated: The Cooperative Act stipulates that a merger grants the members a right of co-determination and that the consent of the members with a qualified majority of three quarters is required GenoTime emphasized.

Impact on the future

How the lawsuit and the threat of legal action might affect the merger timeline remains to be seen. A legal challenge can delay registration of the merger if it is filed in a timely manner. The board of directors of the Volksbanken are optimistic and are looking forward to the lawsuit calmly, which represents an initial assessment by the board of directors of Volksbank Jever. However, the critics' concerns make it clear that mergers can certainly bring advantages, but they also lead to uncertainties and conflicts Genonews emphasized again.

Whether the critics' concerns will prevail or whether the new Volksbank Jade-Weser can start its new era on September 1st as planned remains an exciting topic that will not leave the home communities indifferent. The coming weeks will be crucial.