German municipalities rally in Berlin demanding federal aid for a €32 billion finance crisis

Seventy‑three municipalities from eight German states, largely from North‑Rhine Westphalia, organised a convoy of fire engines, sanitation trucks and other emergency vehicles that left Düsseldorf on 6 July and entered Berlin on 7 July. The procession stopped at the Kanzleramt, the Bundestag and the Federal Finance Ministry to highlight the municipalities’ dire financial situation.

The cities demand immediate federal assistance amounting to roughly €32 billion, a rise in the municipal share of tax revenue (the "Verbundquote") by two percentage points, coverage of integration‑aid costs and full implementation of the “Wer bestellt, bezahlt” principle for existing laws. They also call for an increase in the old‑debt‑rule funding.

Representatives such as Oberbürgermeister Thorsten Berg of Oberhausen warned, “Wir sind in einer dramatischen Lage.” Duisburg’s mayor Sören Link personally drove a fire‑engine in the convoy. While Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the state premiers have agreed on the new “Wer bestellt, bezahlt” rule, the municipal leaders say it does not adequately address the current shortfall.

In parallel, the State Office for Statistics reported that North‑Rhine Westphalia’s municipalities ended 2025 with €64.1 billion of debt—a 15.7 % increase year‑on‑year and the highest level since 2017—translating to a per‑capita debt of €3,561. The protest aims to make visible the essential services municipalities provide and the scale of the financial gap they face.