Dispute over addiction counseling: Badenschier under fire from city representatives!

Dispute over addiction counseling: Badenschier under fire from city representatives!

In Schwerin, the city representatives are making a clear signal in favor of addiction counseling: Despite an objection from Mayor Rico Badenschier (SPD), the subsidy for them remains Evangelical addiction counseling exist in the household. The city has to deal with the fact that it has the second highest burden of drug and alcohol addicts in the country and around 800 citizens are supported in the counseling center every year. The planned budget originally provided 13,000 euros less for addiction counseling, but this was rejected by city representatives.

Badenschier justifies his objection with a significant deficit in the budget, desperately looking for savings. The administration also sees the increase in the subsidy as disproportionate. However, it was important to city representatives to maintain this essential public service. Petra Federau from the AfD described Badenschier's actions as "brazen" and instead calls for closer cooperation, while Daniel Trepsdorf from the Left emphasizes addiction counseling as a mandatory task for the city. Stefan Nimke from the CDU also sees a need for more staff in the advice center.

The decision and its consequences

At the city representatives meeting on November 10th, which was eagerly awaited, it turned out that the city representatives did not support Badenschier's objection. Approving a possible referendum would also cost the city 100,000 euros - another reason why the decision to leave the subsidy in the budget was clear. It remains unclear whether Badenschier will take action against the city representatives' decision. In any case, he is withdrawing due to a lack of support and thus shows the tensions between the city leadership and politics.

Meanwhile, there is also positive news in sports: Sherman Guity has stood out with impressive performances over the last two years. After winning two gold medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in the 100 and 200 meters, the 2025 season was a challenge for him, as he describes in an interview here. With a bronze and a silver medal at the Para World Championships in New Delhi, he once again proved how strong his performances are, despite the difficulties that came with injuries.

Off to new goals

Guity is already planning to compete in next year's Para-Central American and Caribbean Games in Guanajuato. Not only does he want to win there, he also has big goals in mind for the Pan American Games, always with the focus on the upcoming Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. In the meantime, after a short break, he will start training for indoor competitions in January and will take part in the Gran Maratón Costa Rica on November 30, where he plans to run with children in the 2 kilometer distance. It will be exciting to see how he performs there.

So when people in Schwerin and elsewhere ask themselves where the attention belongs, one thing is clear: the topics of addiction counseling and top sporting performance both deserve their attention and support. And while Guity continues to demonstrate great performance, the city of Schwerin remains challenged to care for the well-being of its citizens, especially in times of financial constraints.