Playground or construction project: referendum in Schwerin is approaching!

Playground or construction project: referendum in Schwerin is approaching!

An exciting election awaits the citizens: On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the residents of Schwerin will have the opportunity to decide on the future of the playground at the Kiel Street to vote. In a referendum, which was initiated after a successful citizens' initiative, more than 79,000 citizens eligible to vote can decide whether the 4,800 square meter area should be sold to an investor or whether the space should be retained as a playground. Over 4,000 Schwerin residents have already cast their votes in favor of preserving the playground, which prompted the city council to initiate the referendum.

Unique voting mode

Voting will only be carried out by postal vote as no traditional voting rooms will be set up. The relevant documents, including ballot papers, voting slips and information sheets, will be sent to citizens in the coming weeks. These steps are necessary because anyone who wants to vote can return the documents by mail or drop them off in person at the town hall. Speaking of town hall, the last opportunity to cast votes is January 25th at 6 p.m., and the counting of votes will then take place in public.

Separation of election dates

An interesting detail is the city council's decision to hold the referendum separately from the mayoral election, which is scheduled to take place on April 12, 2026. This comes despite the Interior Ministry's recommendation to combine the elections to save costs and increase voter turnout. Ultimately, the implementation of the referendum will result in additional expenses of around 100,000 euros, which arise primarily from administrative costs.

All German and EU citizens aged 16 and over who have lived in Schwerin for more than 37 days are eligible to vote. The result of the referendum is considered accepted if the majority of valid votes are in favor and the participation reaches at least 25% of those entitled to vote. A legally binding procedure - the referendum has the same status as a decision by the elected local council and is an important instrument of direct democracy in Germany: Anyone who wants to take part can therefore actively participate in the design of their city, which not only promotes public discourse, but also increases the acceptance of decisions Wikipedia is described.

The political waves in Schwerin already seem to be running high. The SPD parliamentary group, which initially proposed a joint scheduling with the mayoral election, is now faced with the challenge of adapting its plan according to the city council's decisions. Outgoing Mayor Rico Badenschier will leave office on January 1, 2026, resulting in monthly savings. Meanwhile, the non-attached city representative and co-initiator of the citizens' initiative Stephan Martini is already filing an objection with the municipal supervisory authority in order to initiate possible countermoves against the referendum.

Will the playground be retained or will a new building site be created? The people of Schwerin will be able to answer this question loudly in less than two months - the tension is rising!