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Merz secures financing for Peenebrücke: Relief for Wolgast!
Chancellor Merz visits MV, promises to finance the Peene Bridge and the bypass in Wolgast to relieve the burden on the population.
Merz secures financing for Peenebrücke: Relief for Wolgast!
Today, November 4th, 2025, the inaugural visit of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania took place. This visit was part of a cabinet meeting in Schwerin, where the Chancellor made important commitments. The focus was particularly on financing the Peene Bridge to the island of Usedom near Wolgast, which, according to Merz, is supported by the federal government. The long overdue bypass for Wolgast was also discussed. “There's something going on!”, you might say, because the project is finally being completed after being on the waiting list for a long time.
The federal transport budget was increased by a whopping three billion euros to support such infrastructure projects. The cost of the bypass and the new bridge is around 500 million euros - a tough chunk compared to the original estimates of 140 million euros from 2021. It will be interesting to see whether the announced completion of the bypass will actually take place by 2028, as 2026 was originally mentioned.
Importance for the region
Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) emphasized the enormous importance of the bypass for citizens, the economy and tourism. Relieving the burden on the population from through traffic is emphasized as a central goal. Merz also announced that more support would be given for investments in the ports. Schwesig's demands for additional federal aid are more than understandable - the current support of 38 million euros is obviously not enough. The investment requirement for the ports is estimated at approx. Estimated at 15 billion euros, which shows that the need for action is great.
Another important point was the discussion about reducing energy costs, which Schwesig called for to stimulate the economy and secure jobs. Merz took the suggestions from Schwerin into the discussions about future EU funding, because here too, regional co-determination plays an essential role for the future of the region.
A look at Merz’s background
Friedrich Merz, born on November 11, 1955 in Brilon, has an impressive career behind him. He has been a member of the CDU since 1972 and held numerous political positions before being appointed Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 6, 2025. With a strong background in law and political science, he also served as a lawyer and in the European Parliament before his political career. Last but not least, Merz has also gained a lot of political experience as chairman of the CDU in Germany and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, which will now benefit him in his new role.
The meeting in Schwerin shows that there is a strong desire in both federal and state politics to modernize the infrastructure and at the same time promote economic development. The coming years will be crucial to see how the announced projects can be implemented and what impact they will have on the region.
At a time when autumn is becoming increasingly windy - as the current weather forecasts show - it remains to be hoped that the political winds in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will blow in a positive direction. If the weather cooperates, the region could soon benefit from the improvements.