Budget debate in Lübeck: 162 million euro deficit and protests!
On November 6, 2025, the citizens of Lübeck will discuss a budget deficit of 162 million euros and the effects on social affairs and schools.

Budget debate in Lübeck: 162 million euro deficit and protests!
On November 6, 2025, the Lübeck citizens will meet to discuss the financial decisions for the coming year. The draft budget, which shows a deficit of over 162 million euros, is the focus of this meeting, which begins at 4 p.m. Mayor Jan Lindenau (SPD) has already announced that the city of Lübeck must reduce its spending for 2026 to the bare essentials, in addition to a consolidation list of 8 million euros.
Citizens are concerned about the announced cuts, especially in the education sector. There were protests before the meeting because many Lübeck residents fear that the planned savings could affect the quality of schools and social services. Topics such as the renovation of schools and the creation of administrative positions will also be the focus of the discussions. According to NDR, these savings are necessary to align the planned expenditure of 1.35 billion euros with the expected income of only 1.19 billion euros.
Insights into the numbers and challenges
The 2026 budget envisages cuts of over 8.2 million euros, which could rise to 12.5 million euros in 2027. This is the result of increasing spending as a result of federal and state regulations, particularly in the area of social benefits, and due to stagnating tax revenues. The major challenges facing Lübeck will certainly be debated even more intensely as the citizenry meets again on November 27th to further discuss the decisions.
For the citizens of Lübeck it remains a difficult balance between necessary savings and maintaining important services. The pressure from the population is noticeable because they want a fair distribution of resources that does justice to the social well-being of the city. While some are overzealously questioning the future of the education sector, the meeting could provide clarity on the city government's course of action.
In the midst of these discussions, one could almost forget how important the little joys of life are, such as a good recipe for chocolate chip cookies - an expert guide can be found at Joy Food Sunshine, which shows how to bake classic cookies that are guaranteed to put you in a good mood. The contrast between the big issues of citizenship and the small joys of everyday life shows us that there are joyful moments even in times of uncertainty.