With the kind request for publication
PM_Patrik Lauer elected as Vice President of the German County Association - Only the second person from Saarland in the executive presidium
At its general assembly on June 8, 2026, in Berlin, the German County Association elected Patrik Lauer, the district administrator of Saarlouis district, as Vice President by a large majority.
The German County Association is the leading municipal association representing the 294 counties in Germany. It consolidates their interests and brings the municipal perspective into political decision-making processes at the federal and state levels. With his election, Patrik Lauer will in future be a member of the executive presidium and thus the highest governing body of the association.
With Patrik Lauer, Saarland is appointing a vice president of the German County Association for only the second time in its history. Before him, this office was held solely by Franz-Ludwig Triem, who served as Vice President of the German County Association from June 4 to December 31, 1986. At that time, Triem was the president of the then City Association Saarbrücken (today: Regional Association Saarbrücken).
For the first time in about 40 years, a Saarlander is once again represented in the executive presidium of the German County Association. At the same time, Patrik Lauer will be the first Saarlander to hold the office for a full term of two years.
For this task, Lauer brings extensive knowledge from municipal advocacy. As district administrator of the Saarlouis district and chairman of the Saarland County Council, he has been advocating for the concerns of the Saarland districts and the Saarbrücken Regional Association for years. In addition, he is already involved in the committees of the German County Council and knows the work of the association from many years of own experience.
"The municipalities bear a large part of the state’s responsibilities, but increasingly reach their financial and personnel limits in doing so. It is all the more important that their concerns are heard in Berlin. I look forward to helping shape this task in the executive presidium of the German County Association in the future and representing the interests of Saarland there," explains District Administrator Patrik Lauer.
The executive presidium of the German County Association deals with central issues of municipal self-administration, the financial capacity of the counties, administrative modernization, and also public services.
Together with the President of the German County Association, District Administrator Dr. Achim Brötel (Neckar-Odenwald district), the other Vice Presidents Sven Ambrosy (Friesland district), Thomas Karmasin (Fürstenfeldbruck district) and Götz Ulrich (Burgenland district), as well as the executive presidential member Dr. Kay Ruge, Patrik Lauer will in future contribute to the political positioning of the association.
"That Saarland is represented again in the executive presidium of the German County Association after around 40 years is a strong signal for our municipal level and also to some extent an acknowledgment of my previous work in the presidium. I am very grateful for the trust placed in me. I will dedicate all my efforts to representing the interests of the counties and bringing the more than challenging issues facing the municipalities into federal political debates," said Lauer.
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