Parliamentary group leader Groß demands a clear strategy and a stronger focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Darmstadt. The CDU parliamentary group in Darmstadt is placing the issue of economic development on the agenda of the upcoming city council meeting. The reason for this is what the group considers to be a delayed and inadequate response from Mayor and Head of Economic Affairs Hanno Benz to a major inquiry submitted by the CDU on June 26, 2025.
“ It took 117 days for the mayor to respond to our inquiry – and what we received was 19 pages of text, but without any direction,” criticizes parliamentary group leader Caroline Groß . “We would have been satisfied with short answers – if they had had any substance. Instead, we are experiencing a mayor who writes a lot but says little.”
Criticism of plans to outsource economic development
The CDU is particularly critical of Benz's suggestion to outsource economic development to a limited liability company (GmbH) . "That would be a grave mistake," warns Groß. "Economic development is a core responsibility of the city's leadership and must transparent, manageable, and subject to democratic control . A limited liability company would weaken parliamentary oversight – without any discernible benefit."
The CDU also accuses the mayor of lacking economic policy orientation and a lack of respect for parliament . "Anyone who describes parliamentary inquiries as 'unproductive' demonstrates a distorted understanding of cooperation," Groß continued.
The economy as the basis for social security
The CDU firmly believes that economic strength is a prerequisite for social cohesion . "Without a strong local economy, there are no stable finances – and without stable finances, there is no good childcare, no social services, and no functioning infrastructure," emphasizes Groß.
The parliamentary group therefore calls for economic development with a clear focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) :
- Local contacts who know the companies and craft businesses
- Faster approval processes and planning certainty for investors
- Preservation and development of commercial areas
“Darmstadt needs economic strength as the foundation for everything else,” Caroline Groß summarizes. “Without successful businesses, any social policy remains built on sand. We will make the economy a key focus of our political work.”
(DARMSTADT – RED/PM/CDU)
