The German state of Lower Saxony is demanding help from the federal government to save the Meyer Werft shipyard, which is fighting for its existence.
"We are now fighting together for a new start for the shipyard," said Lower Saxony's Economy Minister Olaf Lies after a crisis meeting on Wednesday evening.
However, Lower Saxony will not be able to solve the problems on its own, emphasized the state's Finance Minister Gerald Heere. "We urgently need the support of the federal government and a sustainable corporate structure to give Meyer Werft real prospects for the future."
Lower Saxony's conservative CDU parliamentary group deputy Ulf Thiele also said that it would not be possible to give the shipyard a secure future without temporary federal government support.
"The future of German shipbuilding depends on this," Thiele said. He added that the economic development of the entire region depends on the backing.
"And the livelihoods of thousands of families depend on it," he said.
Meyer Werft is one of the world's leading manufacturers of cruise ships and therefore an important economic factor for Lower Saxony. The company's order books are full - however, the shipyard has to close a large financing gap of €2.7 billion ($2.9 billion) by 2027 due to the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic and price increases as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
