Protests in Wiesbaden: 250 students fight against university cuts!

Protests in Wiesbaden: 250 students fight against university cuts!

Today, around 250 students and employees demonstrated in Wiesbaden against the announced cuts in higher education. Social support was strong because the protesters were supported by the Education and Science Union (GEW) Hesse, ver.di Hesse and the State Asten Conference. This action took place on the occasion of a meeting of the Senate with Finance Minister Lorz and Science Minister Gremmels, where the controversial university pact for the years 2026 to 2030 was discussed. These plans not only cause frustration among students, but also great resentment among university employees.

Henrike Arnold from the GEW operating group in Marburg was critical of the cuts, which could put many temporary positions at risk. Sebastian Ehlers from the Hessian State ASten Conference warned of the negative effects on universities of applied sciences and art colleges. Particularly worrying is the threat of mass layoffs of student assistants, which could severely impact the quality of science and research in the medium to long term.

Demands for more financial resources

The demand for an increase in funding for universities to create permanent positions and a sustainable financial basis is becoming increasingly louder. Dr. Corinna Müller from ver.di also pointed out the overload of employees, which is already noticeable. The higher education pact is generally viewed as unsafe for students and employees, as the proposed budget could lead to a deficit of an estimated one billion euros over the next six years daily news reported.

This concern is also reflected in the protests taking place at various universities, including the University of Kassel and the TU Darmstadt, under the motto “No Cuts”. At a staff meeting in Kassel with around 600 employees, the frustration and uncertainty were clearly noticeable. The GEW speaks of 450 participants in the protests, which underlines the seriousness of the situation.

Long-term effects and demands of the opposition

The opposition has sharply criticized the state government's plans and described them as a “austerity university pact”. They warn of long-term negative effects on the quality of teaching and research. Science Minister Timon Gremmels reiterated the need for cuts due to declining tax revenues and spoke of a worst-case scenario that they were trying to avoid. According to his ministry, personnel costs will increase by 60 million euros annually until 2026, while the budgets for 2026 and 2027 should be below the 2025 level.

The demand for fundamental changes in university funding is also supported by an open letter from the staff councils, which has already been signed by numerous representatives of several universities and the State Asten Conference and which calls for the need for adequate basic funding. The university presidents themselves warn of the consequences of the intended cuts and are calling for improvements to remedy the structural underfunding.

In summary, it can be said that the current protests and demands from the Hessian university world represent a clear appeal not to jeopardize education and research in the state. Creating stable financial conditions is crucial for the future of universities and therefore also for the next generations of students and scientists.