Special assets: Kretschmer calls for municipalities to have a say

In the discussion about the distribution of the billions in special funds announced by the federal government, Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is calling for local authorities to have a say. "I want mayors, district councils and local councils to be able to decide - according to what is needed locally," Kretschmer told the "Sächsische Zeitung" newspaper.

It must also be possible to finance what is needed independently of funding guidelines, demanded Saxony's head of government. In his view, this primarily includes hospitals, infrastructure and education.

On Thursday, the Conference of Minister Presidents will begin in Berlin under the chairmanship of Saxony. There, the heads of the federal states will also discuss "new financing instruments for the federal and state governments", according to a statement. The new President of the Association of German Cities, Leipzig's Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung (SPD), had put the financial deficit of local authorities across Germany at 25 billion euros and called for the rapid implementation of the special fund.