The black-green government coalition has removed the planned application to host a “Specialized Expo” from its agenda.

This emerges from the responses from the head of the state chancellery, Axel Wintermeyer (CDU), which Wintermeyer gave to requests from the SPD's deputy parliamentary group leader, Marius Weiß.

The project is included in the coalition agreement and is referred to there as a joint, comprehensive “vision” for the Frankfurt / Rhine-Main metropolitan region.

Ewald Hetrodt

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.

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The international event, which has always been held between two major world exhibitions since 1936, is regularly devoted to just one particular topic. The Hessian coalition wanted "to discuss opportunities, development prospects and qualities, especially under the aspects of climate protection and sustainability, to think together urban development, housing policy, functional mixes, new forms of land policy and safeguarding open space in cities and regions and to try out innovative concepts and ideas". This is what the coalition agreement says.

Under the motto “smart region - smart people”, innovative, networked and resource-saving concepts, for example for mobility, urban and regional development, land activation and energy generation, should be developed and demonstrated.

In May 2019, about a year and a half after the coalition negotiations between the CDU and the Greens, the SPD brought into play its demand, contained in the social democratic election manifesto, for an international building exhibition to be held.

"No chance to prevail"

It is primarily about impulses for urban planning and the solution of specific grievances, replied Wintermeyer. With the application to host the “Specialized Expo” a different goal is pursued, namely the holistic further development of a large European metropolitan region in which a total of four federal states are involved. In preparation, the head of the state chancellery announced a "structured process" in which Hesse's neighboring states Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate should also be involved. The “Specialized Expo 2027/2028” was envisaged as the next accessible and not yet awarded exhibition. "In this respect, an application would have to be submitted in 2021/2022," said Wintermeyer in spring 2019. He reported that the state of Hesse itself was not entitled to apply, only the federal government.That is why the first exploratory talks between the State Chancellery in Wiesbaden and the Federal Chancellery took place.

When Weiß asked about the state of affairs this summer, Wintermeyer informed the parliamentary group chairman that he had to refrain from applying for 2027/2028.

He explained to the FAZ on Wednesday that, given the strong field of applicants, there was no chance of prevailing.

From Wintermeyer's point of view, a promising German application is only possible for the “Specialized Expo” in 2032/2033.

This is a long period of time that goes well beyond the current and the coming legislative period.

In addition, the state and federal government would have been politically and financially "not insignificantly bound".

However, one observes the development of the applications of other countries, so Wintermeyer.

This serves the goal of "strengthening the region with a separate application for 2032/2033".