Interior Minister Encourages Brandenburg Municipalities to Pursue Voluntary Mergers

The Interior Minister of Brandenburg has called on local municipalities to consider voluntary mergers and administrative collaborations as a means to enhance efficiency and address ongoing staffing shortages. According to the minister, a significant number of local governments in the state are struggling to meet operational demands due to insufficient personnel, with estimates suggesting that around ten percent of positions remain vacant across various administrations.

Brandenburg has not undertaken a major municipal restructuring since the early 2000s, when a sweeping reform reduced the number of individual communities in the state from nearly 1,500 to just over 400. While the minister ruled out introducing another compulsory territorial reform, he emphasized the importance of local initiatives to consolidate administrative resources and improve service delivery. The focus, he explained, should be on grassroots action rather than top-down directives from state authorities.

One potential approach highlighted by the minister is the formation of association municipalities, which enable neighboring towns and communities to share administrative tasks and pool resources. This model has seen widespread adoption in other German states such as Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Palatinate, but remains relatively rare in Brandenburg. Currently, only one association municipality exists within the state, located in the Elbe-Elster district in southern Brandenburg. This entity, established in 2019, brought together the cities of Mühlberg, Bad Liebenwerda, Falkenberg/Elster, and Uebigau-Wahrenbrück under a unified administrative structure.

The primary objective behind these voluntary mergers is to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve the capacity of local governments to manage their responsibilities effectively. Shared administration allows smaller municipalities to collaborate on essential services, minimize bureaucratic overhead, and address challenges posed by demographic changes and financial constraints.

Despite the perceived benefits, the association municipality model has experienced some setbacks. For instance, the city of Falkenberg decided to withdraw from the joint administration in the autumn of 2025. Nevertheless, the minister maintained that the concept remains viable and that isolated departures do not signify the failure of the model as a whole. Instead, he encouraged other municipalities to consider similar partnerships, emphasizing the advantages of voluntary cooperation over mandatory reform.

Brandenburg's approach reflects a broader trend across Germany, where local governments are increasingly seeking innovative solutions to adapt to evolving administrative challenges. As more municipalities face difficulties in recruiting staff and maintaining essential services, voluntary mergers and shared services are being promoted as pragmatic strategies to ensure efficient governance at the local level.

The minister concluded that successful reforms will depend on the willingness of local leaders to collaborate and adapt to changing circumstances. By fostering a culture of cooperation and flexibility, Brandenburg's municipalities may be better equipped to serve their residents and navigate future challenges.