Germany’s governing coalition is planning to provide one billion euros in funding to municipalities for the renovation of sports facilities, according to sources within the Social Democratic Party (SPD)
The funds, drawn from a special infrastructure fund, are slated for parliamentary approval during the budget committee’s upcoming deliberations on the 2025 budget, as indicated by SPD parliamentary vice-president Wiebke Esdar She described the initiative as a “substantial and entirely new nationwide renovation program” for sports facilities at the local level
Municipalities will be able to access the funding, intended for projects such as the refurbishment of gyms, sports grounds and swimming pools, starting in early 2026 The federal government will bear the full cost of the program According to the SPD, the allocation will not impact the existing 100 billion euro portion of the 500 billion euro special infrastructure fund designated for broader infrastructure projects
Plans currently involve direct disbursement of the funds from the federal government to municipalities, with proposed amendments to federal budgetary regulations intended to streamline the application process and ensure rapid access to funding
Esdar emphasized the importance of renovating swimming pools specifically, in order to facilitate the continued provision of swimming lessons in a greater number of communities She highlighted that a lack of swimming proficiency can have life-threatening consequences, a concern exacerbated by the increasing number of swimming pool closures nationwide