Over more than ten years, discussions and plans had been going on to replace Stuttgart's 19th-century terminus station with a modern underground through-station. This win-win solution will accelerate train traffic and, at the same time, liberate precious ground within the city for green spaces and urban development. The project, named Stuttgart 21, was discussed in all aspects by experts, presented in public hearings, and quickly passed the state parliament in its final version since the Federal Railway will bear the lion's share concerning financing. Only the Green party always was against the project. All seemed clear and had been democratically approved, but when the construction eventually began, citizens opposing the project started public protests at the building site, hindering the work's progress. A mediator failed in his attempt to arbitrate.
The situation became delicate for Baden-Württemberg's green-red state government, with the Social Democrats in favor and the Greens against Stuttgart 21. The only possibility to keep their coalition intact was to ask the people and have them decide in a referendum. Such a procedure is complicated to launch. Eventually, we were asked whether we agreed that the government would bail out of negotiations with the Federal Railway.
Estimated costs for abandoning Stuttgart 21, the state of Baden-Württemberg would have to shoulder range from only 350 million believing the adversaries to 1.5 billion, according to the project's supporters.
You know from my previous blogs that I am a railway aficionado preferring a six-hour train ride to a ninety-minute flight like the other day from Freiburg to Berlin. I hate the stress of going to Basel airport by bus and having to be there too early. I detest the checks after the check-in and don't like landing far out of the city by taking a bus downtown Berlin. On the other hand, I step on the train in Freiburg and step off at Berlin central station enjoying a good book, and you guessed it, the pot of coffee and the Butterkuchen now 5.70 euro compared to 5 euro last fall.
Coming back to our topic: A couple of weeks ago, the state government issued a booklet containing the pros and cons of Stuttgart 21. This didn't change my mind, but not because I am biased. I was open to any good argument, but those of the adversaries were just aggressive statements.
What made the referendum really weird was that those who want Stuttgart 21 to be built must vote no, and those who are against it have to vote yes. As I wrote above, the people only decide about a law authorizing the government to negotiate with the Federal Railway to abandon the project.
Although the nays will undoubtedly have it, the protests against Stuttgart 21 will continue. Crazy!
November 28, 2011:
Note added in proof: As expected, the referendum ended with 58.8% nays in Baden-Württemberg. Thus Stuttgart 21 will be built. The participation was only 48.3%. Even in primarily concerned Stuttgart, 52.9% voted with no. Freiburg, however, was the great exception and had only 33.5%, the lowest figure of naysayers in our Ländle. Should I now feel like a loser or a winner?
Even before the final result of the referendum was known, adversaries brandished panels in front of Stuttgart's central station: You won't get rid of us.
You know from my previous blogs that I am a railway aficionado preferring a six-hour train ride to a ninety-minute flight like the other day from Freiburg to Berlin. I hate the stress of going to Basel airport by bus and having to be there too early. I detest the checks after the check-in and don't like landing far out of the city by taking a bus downtown Berlin. On the other hand, I step on the train in Freiburg and step off at Berlin central station enjoying a good book, and you guessed it, the pot of coffee and the Butterkuchen now 5.70 euro compared to 5 euro last fall.
Coming back to our topic: A couple of weeks ago, the state government issued a booklet containing the pros and cons of Stuttgart 21. This didn't change my mind, but not because I am biased. I was open to any good argument, but those of the adversaries were just aggressive statements.
What made the referendum really weird was that those who want Stuttgart 21 to be built must vote no, and those who are against it have to vote yes. As I wrote above, the people only decide about a law authorizing the government to negotiate with the Federal Railway to abandon the project.
Although the nays will undoubtedly have it, the protests against Stuttgart 21 will continue. Crazy!
Note added in proof: As expected, the referendum ended with 58.8% nays in Baden-Württemberg. Thus Stuttgart 21 will be built. The participation was only 48.3%. Even in primarily concerned Stuttgart, 52.9% voted with no. Freiburg, however, was the great exception and had only 33.5%, the lowest figure of naysayers in our Ländle. Should I now feel like a loser or a winner?
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| In today's Badische Zeitung |
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