Criticism of the anniversary date: ceremony for the 50th of the Märkische Kreis under criticism

Criticism of the anniversary date: ceremony for the 50th of the Märkische Kreis under criticism

In a heated meeting of the district council, the date of the planned festival event was discussed intensively on the 50th anniversary of the Märkische Kreis. The planned ceremony was on September 6, 2025 in the Balver cave in the center of the controversy. The problem is that only a week later the local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia take place, which numerous members of the district council consider disadvantageous.

The parliamentary groups of Bündnis 90/The Greens and the FDP had submitted an application that called for a change in the date. FDP parliamentary group leader Axel Hoffmann noted that this date had "a tasty", which indicates potential political advantages for the office owners. Manuel Huff also expressed criticism of the short -term announcement of the appointment and called for earlier communication on the part of the district administrator.

invitations and preparations

Although invitations were already sent under the motto "Save the Date - 50 Years of Märkischer Kreis", the discussion has triggered a wave of concerns. Social Democrat Fabian Ferber reported feedback from various communities, which also assess the appointment as unfavorable. This led to broad support for the Greens' application and the FDP to ask the district administrator to look for alternatives.

The district administrator, Marco Voge, defended the elected date in a comprehensive explanation. In his view, the date was chosen from strategic considerations, which also took into account the location of the event. 264 guests planned for the planned celebration, and the available funds amount to 20,500 euros.

In the meeting, there was also a request from the CDU to put the vote on the appointment. However, the other factions saw difficulties in this, especially since a possible alternative could be related to a concert by the Märkische Youth Symphony Orchestra in a short time frame. Finally, the vote was postponed indefinitely, which led to other dissatisfied comments.

Already during the discussions, some participants were critical of the way the debate was conducted. As a “political pitcher theater”, the Situation in the new meeting room was commented on and illustrated the tensions and disagreements within the committee.

The discussion is an example of the challenges that arise from the planning of important events, especially if they are located close to elections. The different parties seem to agree that the appointment should be covered, and the search for an alternative date is all the more urgent.

For more information on this topic and the background of the discussion, a detailed report to read.