Leipzig is pushing for top sports agency: a glimmer of hope for the coal region!

Leipzig is pushing for top sports agency: a glimmer of hope for the coal region!

Leipzig, Deutschland - The city of Leipzig has decided to apply as a possible location for the newly planned top sports agency. In a conversation with Deutschlandfunk, Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) expressed that Leipzig was ideal due to his "neutral" situation. Compared to Frankfurt or Berlin, the Saxon capital does not offer a less neutral location for the institution, which should act as independent. He also emphasized the advantageous but manageable distance from Berlin, which speaks as an additional argument for Leipzig.

A central concern of the federal government is to react to the location application with a settlement concept for the "coal regions". Schuster sees great opportunities in this and emphasizes that it is important to set up such institutions in eastern Germany. In the future, the targeted top sports agency will bundle all aspects of the Federal Ministry of the Interior Association (BMI) - from the allocation of funding to the further development of the critical potential analysis system "Potas", which should also become part of the agency

positive impulses for Leipzig

However, there are also critical voices on the law plans. Schuster is aware of this, but makes it clear that he does not expect any significant changes to the Sports Promotion Act or at the agency itself. Although he is firmly convinced that adjustments within the agency have to be made, he has no doubt about the fundamental orientation.

monitoring by the Bundestag

Another important aspect is the supervisory function of the German Bundestag through the new agency. Schuster gave an insight into the concerns that were expressed in terms of potential autonomy of the agency. In his opinion, this will not be the case, since there will be defined supervisory bodies that will awaken about the use of funding. There will be a clear structure in the representative of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) and the federal states play a decisive role in the distribution of funds.

Extensive discussions and the next steps to promote top sports are now pending, while the city of Leipzig is hoping for a positive decision. According to Schuster, it is crucial to promote the process so that Germany is not falling behind in international comparison. For more information on this topic, interested readers can take a look at the reporting at www.deutschlandfunk.de throw.