Minister-President Erwin Sellering

We are thriving to be a strong, confident and modern state

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been dogged in its efforts to push ahead and improve. The investments are bearing fruit and the state’s economic structure has become more robust. We have succeeded in becoming the most popular summer holiday destination in Germany. The more traditional sectors – such as agriculture, food production and the maritime industry – have been completely overhauled since 1990. At the same time, the state has gained a foothold in forward-looking sectors such as biotechnology, medical technology, the health care industry, the service centre industry and environmental technology.

Our objective is to make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern an even better place for our children and families. At the start of the current legislative period, we introduced free lunches for children from socially disadvantaged families. We also slashed the fees paid by parents for children’s day care last year. In the 2010/2011 biennial budget, we aim to provide nurseries with a further 15 million euros per year.

It is vitally important – now more than ever, as we tackle the consequences of the global economic crisis – to put policies into place that help everybody and ensure that no one is left behind. We need even more jobs and companies in our state. By 2020 at the latest, we want to be financially independent and be in a position where we can shape our own future. We are striving to be a strong, confident and modern state that can be proud of its many achievements and uphold its traditions with self-assurance.