Bremen Approves €148M Supplementary Budget to Ease Financial Strain
Bremen's Senate has approved supplementary budgets for 2025 to tackle financial strain, with plans to borrow an additional €148 million to support municipalities. This comes amidst rising social welfare costs and increased spending in education and internal security.
The state is facing financial pressure due to rising social welfare costs, additional teaching staff requirements, and mandatory civil servant pay adjustments. To address this, budget increases totaling over €60 million have been approved, including higher civil servant pay and equipment for new police stations.
Bremen is making use of new borrowing flexibility introduced by recent constitutional amendments. The state plans to borrow an additional €148 million, with €80 million remaining with the state, €57.1 million going to Bremen, and €11.6 million to Bremerhaven. This borrowing will be supplemented by special repayments using surplus funds from previous emergency financing.
The city of Bremen's supplementary budget includes an additional €57.1 million in revenue due to the structural deficit component. Finance Senator Björn Fecker commented on the financial pressure faced by local budgets across Germany. Meanwhile, the city administration of Bremerhaven received a subsidy budget of approximately €150 million for 2025, which was used to finance public infrastructure projects, social services, and educational programs.
Bremen's supplementary budgets aim to cover increased spending in education, social services, and internal security. By borrowing and utilizing surplus funds, the state is providing financial support to its municipalities to help manage their budgets effectively.
