Roads in the social sector: Gelsenkirchen breathes - but how long?

Roads in the social sector: Gelsenkirchen breathes - but how long?

Gelsenkirchen. A political drama unfolds in Gelsenkirchen! The city is at the center of a bitter struggle for social means, while the impending cuts of 83 million euros hang in the social sector like a shadow over the region. On November 13, a massive rally of free welfare care will take place before the state parliament to protest against these cuts. The question of how serious the incisions will really be, concerns Gelsenkirchen's politics.

The SPD faction has raised the alarm and requested a status report on the planned cuts. The members are particularly concerned about the 5 million euros, which are to be saved in the area of inclusion. "I got heart pounding," said Anna Schürmann from the FDP. But then came the surprising turn: Gelsenkirchen's senior representative Julius Leberl announced that the feared cuts should be withdrawn in inclusion! This message made relief among politicians, even if the final decision is still pending.

No effects on inclusion!

Leberl informed the advisory board members that he had checked the ministry and that the cuts were not implemented as originally planned. "There will be a supplementary template that will be brought into the state parliament according to the cabinet decision," he said. The politicians were relieved, but Schürmann remains skeptical: "But it doesn't really calm me yet." The uncertainty remains until the cabinet finally decides.

The NRW Ministry of Health has already made it clear that painful cuts in inclusion policy are still intended in the budget draft, but it is planned to revise them in the current procedure. The opposition, especially the SPD, has already pointed out the serious cuts in various social areas that could affect the weakest in society. The Green MP Ilayda Bostancieri emphasizes that the women's shelters in Gelsenkirchen will not be affected by the cuts, but the general unrest among social organizations is noticeable. "It really goes to the substance," says Bostancieri. The negotiations for the 2025 budget promise to become turbulent, and the political waves are high!