Wichtiger Hinweis
End-of-year speech: Janik focuses on commercial development
Stand: 13.01.2025
In his year-end speech to the city council on December 12, Lord Mayor Florian Janik focused on the importance of commercial development. Janik gave the speech under the title "Together" and called for us to continue working together on the strengths of the city.
Economic strength despite budget crisis
Janik emphasized that Erlangen is not a location in structural crisis despite the tense financial situation: "We are and will remain a successful location for global market leaders, for medium-sized high-tech companies and for cutting-edge research." While it has been possible to drive forward the establishment of cutting-edge research and the redesign of the Siemens site here in recent years, the opportunities for the manufacturing industry and skilled trades are too limited.
Land-saving, green industrial estate
"I want us to retain our strengths. That we drive forward the climate-friendly transformation of our city and strengthen social cohesion. But that also means expanding Erlangen as a good business location and giving our companies and tradespeople opportunities for development. This can only succeed if we now also tackle the development of new commercial areas," said Janik. It is about space for Erlangen businesses and companies that are founded here locally based on our strength and that are too often forced to move away. "It's about crafts and SMEs. And it's about thinking ecology and economy together, i.e. a space-saving, green commercial area. And it's about the companies that are implementing the climate-friendly conversion of our industrial country and digitalization in a very concrete way," Janik explained.
Urban development with citizen participation
The Climate Awakening process can teach us how to work out different perspectives and requirements and find viable compromises together. In this sense, the aim of the urban development concept is to identify suitable areas and make possible difficulties and alternatives transparent. The aim is to be able to make quick and concrete decisions based on all the necessary information. "I think it's right to put the decision in the hands of the citizens by means of a referendum initiated by the city council," Janik continued.
Open by tradition as a recipe for success
Christian Lehrmann, Chairman of the CSU city council group, gave the closing speech for the city council this year. Open by tradition is the recipe for success in Erlangen that guides us through these hectic and eventful times. Together we bear the responsibility of leading Erlangen out of this budget crisis, even with all the unpleasant and painful decisions.
A short report can be found in the city newspaper "Rathausplatz 1" - January 2025 issue.
The speech manuscripts for reading
Speech by Lord Mayor Florian Janik- The spoken word prevails
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,
I don't want to take up too much space at this point in the discussion about the 2025 budget. After all, there is a lot to say about the necessary changes to the financial resources provided to local authorities by the federal and state governments. In order to solve the budget problems here on the ground, we need to set priorities. Our goal is still to be able to invest in key areas: Education, social infrastructure, climate protection and digitalization. We will not be able to implement everything at the same time and immediately. We will have to prioritize, sometimes painfully, and we will demand a lot from the urban community and municipal employees. And yet, we are not in a structural economic crisis here in Erlangen. Erlangen continues to be a city in which people, institutions and companies invest and place their trust in a good future. We must work together to build on this strength.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
A few weeks ago, the Süddeutsche Zeitung published an interesting report on the question of why more and more people from India want to live and work in Germany. "It may sound strange to some locals, but Germany is a great country," it said. While we are very critical of our country and complain about the decaying infrastructure and low work ethic, Germany is increasingly attractive for highly qualified Indians - to come and stay.
It is no coincidence that people from India now form the largest foreign community in Erlangen and that Erlangen is now a household name for many people in India. Despite all the problems that we have to work on as a city council and administration, we must not forget that we are and will remain a successful location: We are and will remain a successful location for global market leaders, for medium-sized high-tech companies and for cutting-edge research. We are a small city of short distances, a city where people meet and exchange ideas, where people share a spirit of discovery and research and where people trust each other.
In recent years, we have worked hard together for the development of Siemens, the university and important research facilities in our city. We have created building rights where necessary. We are gearing the infrastructure in our city towards the future. In June, a majority of citizens voted in favor of the construction of the Stadt-Umland-Bahn and thus the sustainable strengthening of our transport infrastructure. We are expanding all-day childcare and have made the allocation of childcare places more transparent and easier with the new childcare portal. We are also modernizing schools and strengthening cultural offerings to further enrich life in our city. Because we know that a good business location is characterized by quality of life and social cohesion. And we have driven forward the redensification of existing buildings in terms of commercial development. We have prioritized industries of the future, promoted intelligent land reuse and exploited previously untapped or not yet fully tapped potential. Not all developments have been completed by any means: The city center will benefit from the development in the Siemens-Mitte area and the transformation of the large parking lot into Regnitzstadt. We are providing the necessary impetus for the city center, retail and service industries. However, our options are too limited, especially for the manufacturing industry and the skilled trades.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
I want us to retain our strengths. I want us to press ahead with the climate-friendly transformation of our city and strengthen social cohesion. But that also means expanding Erlangen as a good business location and giving our companies and tradespeople opportunities for development. This can only succeed if we now also tackle the development of new commercial areas.
It is about space for Erlangen businesses and companies that are based on our strength here locally and that are far too often forced to move away. It's about crafts and medium-sized businesses. And it is about thinking ecology and economy together, i.e. about a land-saving, green industrial estate. And it's about the companies that are actually implementing the climate-friendly conversion of our industrial country and digitalization. The fight against climate change is not least a technology project. And many of the technologies that are needed right now are being developed in Erlangen. The result of our company survey here on site was that a large number of companies would like to expand despite the - currently - difficult economic situation. We must support this desire together.
The development of previously undeveloped areas in Erlangen has always been accompanied by resistance over the last 15 years. But our companies - from SMEs to large employers - need space to position themselves for the future. At the same time, this creates jobs and revenue, which in turn benefits the entire city and makes climate protection, culture and social services possible in the first place.
What does that mean in concrete terms? I propose that we prioritize the urban development concept commissioned by the city council with a focus on the issue of business parks, so that we can make quick and concrete decisions based on all the necessary information. And I believe it is right to put the decision in the hands of the citizens through a referendum initiated by the city council.
We are all aware that the identification of potential commercial sites will be accompanied by conflicts. We will have to weigh up important issues relating to land use and will not be able to resolve all contradictions. However, we know from the Climate Awakening process how important it is to make conflicts transparent in order to find compromises together.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,
The coming year will be challenging. We can already see today that the global crises will not be resolved. And we also know that the budget situation in Erlangen will present us with major challenges.
However, especially in such a difficult situation, we must not lose sight of the strengths of our city and what we are working for together: This is a city in which the administration can react quickly to the needs of the citizens* and act pragmatically. It is a city that is equipped to tackle the major challenges of our time. It is a city in which people gain confidence in government action and are also proud of how the transformation of our industrialized country towards climate protection and digitalization is visible and successful in its infrastructure. And it is a city in which people from very different backgrounds live together, enrich each other and also support each other.
We need strong municipalities and strong state structures. But we also need a strong civil society in which local people get involved. After all, the challenges posed by climate change, demographics and migration cannot be solved by the state without everyone's involvement.
For many people, Christmas is a time of calm. They are an opportunity to let go of responsibility and recharge their batteries for the new year. But the end of the year is also an opportunity to say "thank you". I would like to thank all the people who contribute to our city and take responsibility for one another. My very special thanks go to the employees of the city administration. I would also like to thank Mayor Jörg Volleth, the entire team of officers and the staff council for their trusting cooperation during this challenging time. I would also like to thank you, the members of the City Council, for your continued commitment even in these difficult times. With this in mind, I wish you and your families a relaxing Christmas and a good start to the New Year.
Speech by Christian Lehrmann, Chairman of the CSU City Council Group - the spoken word prevails
Dear Lord Mayor
Dear colleagues of the Erlangen City Council,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year is now rapidly drawing to a close. 2024 was an eventful year that brought changes and major challenges at all levels. Upheavals in the world have not spared us in the municipality either.
Putin's invasion of Ukraine has escalated into an ongoing war. A war whose terrible news we have unfortunately almost become accustomed to in the meantime. But the willingness of the citizens of our city to help and take in the war refugees is unbroken. The war in Ukraine has not only brought imperialism back to our continent, it is also dividing the world into two hostile camps once again. Our solidarity partnership with the Ukrainian town of Browary is therefore a sign of our support and friendly ties with Ukraine. Once again, at the end of the year, we wish and hope that this war will come to a peaceful and amicable end. An end that does not leave victors and vanquished behind.
The global trend towards isolationism, isolationism and the cultivation of national self-interest is damaging us economically and slowing down our development. However, this trend is also becoming increasingly entrenched in our minds. The fear of foreign infiltration is causing us to lose our sense of reality. That we often argue with perceived realities. It makes us suspicious of the foreign and the unknown. Dear colleagues, let us continue on the path of openness and charity. This has carried us through the crises of our time and will continue to strengthen us as an urban society in the future. Openness by tradition is our recipe for success in Erlangen, which will guide us through these hectic and eventful times.
Erlangen is home to around 120 thousand people from 145 nations. Around a quarter of the people in our city are foreign nationals. Erlangen is a place of coming together, living together and peaceful coexistence. That is why it is so important that international conflicts are not carried out here and between us. Of course we have to talk about what is happening in other countries. In particular, we need to talk about all the suffering and crimes that are happening in the world. But we must not allow these conflicts to disrupt our peaceful coexistence. The recent Middle East conflict has given a significant boost to anti-Semitism in our country. We must resolutely oppose this worrying development. We are pleased and grateful that we are continuing to seek a solution for the construction of a synagogue and are supporting the Jewish community of Erlangen to the best of our ability. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is involved here. Almost 80 years after the Shoah, this is an important sign that shows us that the Jewish faith has a firm place in our society. Anti-Semitism is just one example, but a particularly vivid one. We must combat all misanthropy, regardless of whether it is based on religion, sexual orientation or ideology.
We started this year with a lot of confidence, big plans and the firm conviction that we will also be able to achieve our goals in 2024. At the beginning of the year, we were still considered to be one of the financially strongest municipalities in the region. In June of the year, we were then surprised by the news that we would have to pay back 50 million euros in business taxes. With great effort, we were able to cover this sum from the current budget. However, the situation worsened considerably just a few weeks later. Of the original 220 million euros in business taxes, only just over 50 million euros remained.
There is rightly talk of an economic or financial crisis. The city's budget situation is more than just challenging. The situation is precarious. As expected, we will not be able to draw up an approvable budget in the coming year. This puts us in a completely new situation. We have to shape and manage the city without being able to fall back on an approved budget.
In this situation, we are asking a lot of our city administration. The measures in the personnel budget alone present our municipal employees with major challenges and significantly increase the workload in many areas. The reduced budgets make it necessary to make sacrifices and noticeably restrict the work of our administrative colleagues. On behalf of this committee, I would therefore like to thank the administration for its efforts to date and for its willingness to lead our city out of the crisis together. I can assure you that this City Council is always ready to listen and willing to discuss all the questions and challenges we face in this situation. Thank you for tackling this problem together.
Our city's financial crisis is also having an impact on many clubs, associations and groups that we had previously supported with grants. The need to reduce expenditure has led to a reduction in municipal subsidies. We know that this will present many initiatives with major challenges and increase the pressure on voluntary work. However, as the cross-party discussions to date have shown, we will make every effort to ensure that important structures and the network of civic engagement are not lost. Together, we will overcome this crisis.
This budget situation requires us to rethink our policies. Where we have been able to pursue projects that may have been useful but were not necessary. Where we were able to give projects a chance because we could financially afford to simply try things out. In these areas, we now have to consistently focus on our mandatory tasks and the essentials. It is certainly more attractive and easier to create freely than to be forced to budget with scarce resources. Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to lead our city out of this budget crisis. Even with all the unpleasant and painful decisions that have to be made. We can do this with consistency, prudence and foresight.
We do not want to cut back on the care of our children, be it in daycare centers or schools, nor on the safety of our citizens. This has already been declared across all political groups. Together as a committee and as representatives of the citizens, we are facing up to our responsibilities. For example, we have managed to start building the necessary classrooms at Emmy Noether High School. At the same time, the administration is preparing further measures, such as the renovation of the Fridericianum. At the Eltersdorf and Bruck fire departments, we have made the necessary decisions to press ahead with the measures despite delays and financial uncertainties.
However, there are of course also areas in which our efforts are being significantly slowed down. Let me take climate protection as an example. We will not be able to implement all the measures we have planned. Nevertheless, we are continuing to invest in this area. Even if the financial situation makes it necessary to concentrate clearly on effective and target-oriented measures, progress will nevertheless continue, albeit at a slower pace than before.
We must be concerned about the area of daycare centers. The existing problem of a shortage of skilled workers is now being compounded by the limited financial capacity of our city. Whereas in the past we have spent significantly more money than was legally required, we will also fall behind here in the future. One of the key tasks in the coming months will be to maintain childcare that meets demand. Here, too, we would like to thank our administrative staff, who are doing their best to make the most of every opportunity.
Our current situation clearly shows how much we depend on a functioning economy and the situation of our businesses. A strong business location ensures that we as a municipality have the necessary room for maneuver. In addition to hard factors such as the tax burden, many soft factors, such as the aforementioned childcare, also play an important role. We need to diversify our trade tax income more strongly, for example by focusing on attracting new businesses. We also need to make Erlangen attractive for businesses. This includes streamlining and accelerating administrative processes and reducing bureaucracy, for example in the area of processes requiring approval. The current financial crisis is also an opportunity to initiate and implement long overdue processes in connection with Erlangen as a business location. We need to be closer to businesses, trades and the hospitality industry.
Ladies and gentlemen. Despite all the adversity, we have achieved a lot in our city this year. At the end of the year, some people may think to themselves: "Thank goodness this year is over. Hopefully the next one will be better." This is often due to the fact that we often remember the things that annoyed us or didn't work out so well rather than those that were successful, went well or brought us joy. At the end of the year, I invite you to focus on the positive moments: on things that have helped you move forward or to think about situations in which you were able to help other people. These memories should be the focus of our review at the end of the year.
There is an old saying: if you want applause, you have to go to the theater and not to politics. I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the committee. Even if we pursue politics from different perspectives. Even if we often disagree with each other or sometimes even grumble at each other. We are united by our concern for the future of our city and the will to improve the lives of its citizens. To this end, we accept hardship and sacrifice a large part of our free time. I believe that each and every one of us can be justifiably proud of our commitment. I would also like to thank our families and friends, without whom this community volunteering would not be possible. They have our backs, are our advisors and listeners.
The year is drawing to a close. I wish you, I wish us, a blessed Christmas. Peaceful holidays with your loved ones. Enjoy the last quiet days of this year. Have a happy new year and, above all, a healthy, happy and successful 2025.
Photo: David Hartfiel
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City Council
Come along to our monthly city council meetings. Because: Listening and shaping is expressly encouraged!
Helping to shape policy
What advisory boards are there? What does Lord Mayor Florian Janik's everyday life look like? What are the duties of Mayor Jörg Volleth? Answers can be found here.
City Council
Come along to our monthly city council meetings. Because: Listening and shaping is expressly encouraged!
Helping to shape policy
What advisory boards are there? What does Lord Mayor Florian Janik's everyday life look like? What are the duties of Mayor Jörg Volleth? Answers can be found here.
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