In the dispute over the planned wind farm in the Schmölauer Forest, a referendum has not been held. Around 30 wind turbines were at the center of the conflict. Although the Dähre municipal council had approved the citizens’ petition, the Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Administrative Affairs intervened and stopped the process. For the citizens’ initiative, this represents a significant curb on municipal autonomy.
Citizens’ referendum legally inadmissible
The State Office for Administrative Affairs clarified that a citizens’ referendum on zoning plans is legally impossible. While municipalities can determine which areas are used and how, direct votes are prohibited in this area. This eliminated the opportunity for local residents to stop the planned wind farm through a referendum.
The initiative, which sought to prevent the construction of around 30 wind turbines, reacted with disappointment. It sees the decision as a clear attack on local self-determination and a disregard for the interests of the citizens of Altmark.
Concern about a dangerous precedent
The citizens’ initiative spoke of a precedent with “explosive potential.” If the state administration were to decide on the admissibility of referendums in the future, every municipality would lose an important right to have a say. This would not only focus on the current wind farm in Altmark, but also on future projects with similar consequences.
According to the activists, this would jeopardize all local citizens’ initiatives. Opposition to wind turbines or other large-scale projects would then have little chance of being expressed through direct votes. For many people, this represents a dramatic encroachment on local self-determination.
Criticism of the authoritarian approach
In a letter, the initiative described the state administration’s approach as elitist. The administration is reducing politics to mere administrative acts and evading accountability. Critics are particularly concerned that a referendum remains out of the question, while at the same time, more and more wind turbines are being planned in the Altmark region.
Representatives of the initiative call this an “anti-democratic” development. In their view, this step destroys trust in local decision-making processes. They believe this approach represents an attack on local self-determination, which actually forms the foundation of regional democracy.
Future of co-determination uncertain
The conflict over the wind farm demonstrates the growing gap between the administration and the population. While the state authority points to legal limits, the people of Altmark insist on their right to direct participation. According to the initiative, a referendum would not only have decided on the wind turbines, but would also have strengthened trust in democracy.
Whether this dispute will have long-term political consequences remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that skepticism towards central authorities is growing. The discussion surrounding the wind farm thus becomes a symbol of the question of how much local self-determination is still possible in Saxony-Anhalt.