The city of Pirmasens and the district of Südwestpfalz fail in their lawsuit against the Rhineland-Palatinate municipal financial equalization system
AI-generated summary
Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate have long been criticizing the state's inadequate financial resources. According to the city council and district council, 64 percent of municipalities are planning a deficit for 2026.
The lawsuits by the city of Pirmasens and the district of Südwestpfalz against the municipal financial equalization of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate have been dismissed. The administrative court in Neustadt/Weinstraße decided this after a public hearing. The court initially did not provide a reason.
The two municipalities had hoped that their lawsuits would clarify the question of whether the design of the financial equalization meets the constitutional requirements. The lawsuits were filed in close coordination with the city council and the Rhineland-Palatinate district council. The two municipal umbrella associations themselves are not entitled to sue.
Rhineland-Palatinate municipalities have been complaining about inadequate financial resources for years. According to information from the Association of Cities and Districts, 64 percent of municipalities were planning a deficit for 2026.
The Dortmund public prosecutor's office is investigating a 105-year-old for aiding and abetting multiple murders. The accused is said to have worked as a guard in the Stalag 326 prisoner of war camp in Stukenbrock-Senne during the Second World War.

The Federal Council has passed a law that will make e-scooter owners liable regardless of fault. This is intended to make it easier for victims of accidents or falls on incorrectly parked scooters to obtain compensation, as it was often impossible to identify the riders.
On Friday, the Federal Court of Justice announced a decision in the legal dispute over a street art project on a high-rise building in Wuppertal. An apartment owner is suing against the majority decision of the owners' association to decorate the north facade of the building with a large-format painting. He fears fundamental changes, an increase in visitors and the impossibility of installing air conditioning. The other side cites the 2024 resolution and the difficulty of achieving unanimity in large ownership associations.

A car buyer demanded over 122,000 euros in compensation for loss of use for a vehicle that was classified as not roadworthy, but which he continued to drive. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court decided that there is no claim as long as the car is actually used, as there is no economic disadvantage.
The European Court of Justice has declared the Federal Court of Justice's three-year objection period against ineffective energy price increases to be incompatible with EU law. Customers no longer have to tacitly accept ineffective increases after three years. The Berlin Court of Appeal will now hear the case again.
The Federal Constitutional Court has temporarily lifted the detention for the left-wing extremist Lina E. The Dresden Higher Regional Court ordered her detention in June because she refused to testify as a witness in the Antifa East trial.