Many challenges at municipal level

What is currently being discussed at federal level and where are the local authorities' problems? Many topics were discussed at the regular meeting between Bernhard Daldrup (SPD), Member of the Bundestag, and Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich in the presence of the two SPD parliamentary group chairmen Felix Markmeier-Agnesens and Peter Tripmaker as well as Uwe Denkert, Head of Urban Development:

23 May 2023
Mayor, Bernhard Daldrup and SPD parliamentary group leader
  • They had a lot to talk about: from left to right, Uwe Denkert (City of Beckum), SPD parliamentary group chairmen Felix Markmeier-Agnesens and Peter Tripmaker, SPD member of parliament Bernhard Daldrup and Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich.

Energy transition, urban development, social housing, changes to road traffic regulations and the digitalisation of administration.

"We have huge challenges ahead of us and are dependent on the federal government," explained the head of administration following the discussion. "The adequate financing of our tasks is only one factor in this; for example, we cannot solve the housing shortage at municipal level alone," emphasised Gerdhenrich. "We need significantly more affordable housing and must continue to promote public housing construction," confirmed the guest from Berlin. "And, of course, we have to take people with us in the generational task of climate protection - towards a climate-friendly city!" emphasised Daldrup. Local politics and administration have an important role to play here.

"The federal government is currently providing record levels of urban development funding. The town of Beckum is also benefiting from this, for example with the remodelling of the market square and church square," said the federal politician from Sendenhorst. Beckum is also making good progress in terms of Smart City and digital administration.

The two SPD parliamentary group leaders emphasised that it was time to give local authorities more leeway when it came to speed limits. Many changes are on the way here, reported Daldrup.

During the discussion, it once again became clear how many points of contact there are between federal and local politics.