Municipal political guiding principle
Our ideas don’t come from an ivory tower, but from what many in our region have long been living:
Neighborhood help, village shops, youth centers, bike initiatives, or self-managed spaces. Much of this is still in its infancy—but it shows what’s possible when people come together.
We say: that is exactly where we want to start. Not as know-it-alls, but as enablers. The future doesn’t begin with a top-down master plan, but with trust, space, and support for what is created locally.
A good life on the ground is not a pipe dream—it’s achievable if we want it together. And it’s nice when it not only works, but is also enjoyable. Politics may be bold, lively, and just. For a Lower Bavaria that is open, solidary, diverse - and for everyone.
That is what we stand for as Die Linke - together with you and never alone.
We do politics for people – not for profits.
For a solidarity-based togetherness – not for competition.
1. Livable towns and communities
Whether a neighborhood or a village square — our goal is a life on site that is safe, healthy, and vibrant. For us, that means more than asphalt and parking spaces: it is about quality of life for all generations, at any time of day. In cities like Landshut, there must be concrete answers to rising heat stress, air pollution, and conflicts over use between living, working, and leisure. We advocate for fresh-air corridors, inner-city greening, heat protection plans, car-free inner cities, and more drinking fountains.
But quality of life is also a cultural issue: young people need places for music, discussion, and nightlife that are not constantly threatened by displacement. Cultural diversity must remain visible and receive affordable spaces — for initiatives, artists, migrant groups, youth projects, and alternative culture. Quality of life does not end at sunset. Those out at night, whether for work, entertainment, or homeward travel, deserve protection, light, and orientation. Therefore we advocate for well-lit paths, safe night-time public transport, and supplementary offerings like weekend taxi vouchers — especially for women, young people, and marginalized groups.
Multilingual help and inclusive information should be standard everywhere — not only in the city center but in all districts and also in rural areas. In rural communities, quality of life means being able to handle daily life locally — on foot, by bike, or by bus. When doctors’ offices, shops, banks, pharmacies, day-care, and schools are missing or disappear, exodus threatens. We therefore want to strengthen local supply networks, utilize vacancies, promote village shops, enliven community spaces, and foster local participation.
Solidarity in practice: In many communities, outdoor pools, libraries, or citizen centers are at risk of disappearing. We advocate for citizen budgets and cooperative models where neighborhoods, clubs, and municipalities develop solutions together — not as a replacement for state responsibility, but as part of living solidarity. Livable communities need democratic spaces, cultural diversity, and social infrastructure — this is not a luxury but the foundation for social cohesion.
2. Mobility: Movement for all
Mobility decides whether one can participate — in social life, in education, in work. Today, however, mobility is often distributed unfairly: those who own a car get through; those who depend on others to think ahead stay at home or pay more.
In the city: Landshut is suffocating with traffic. The city center suffers from too many cars, too little space for people. We want an attractive, reliable public transport system that truly offers an alternative: tightly scheduled, cross-subsidized, affordable, even in the evenings and on weekends. Bicycle traffic must finally be planned safely and continuously — especially on routes to school, to the train station, to work. In industrial areas, footpaths must be clearly guided and accessible, so that children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are not pushed aside.
In the countryside: Many people rely on cars because there are no alternatives. We want mobility for all — even without a private car. This requires on-demand buses, expansion of networks, bike stations, bike paths between towns, car-sharing offers in communities, and support for organized car pools.
Mobility is a public service.
3. Housing and provision
Housing is a human right. But even in Lower Bavaria rents are rising, vacancies go unused, municipal land is sold, and the surrounding area threatens to become a dormitory region. At the same time, town and city centers lose shops because of a lack of infrastructure and customers or, especially in cities, due to high rents.
We want an active municipal housing policy: our communities should build again, renovate, and enable interim uses. Vacancies should be reduced, municipal spaces secured proactively and used for the common good. We also advocate targeted support for cooperatives and community housing projects. This creates affordable housing for people with low to middle incomes — for single parents, retirees, commuters, and young people building something for themselves. This strengthens not only social cohesion but also local businesses that depend on housing for skilled workers and trainees.
Even in cities like Landshut it is evident: even people with average incomes hardly find affordable housing. Therefore our municipality should permanently create affordable housing — with social housing, fair rents, and land use that serves the public good, not returns on investment.
This includes:
- Securing local supply in every place — through municipal funding, space allocation, and accessibility
- No further thinning of day-care centers, schools, pharmacies, or bank branches
- Social housing and community-oriented cooperatives must be prioritized over investor interests
Solidarity in practice: When citizens’ shops are jointly sustained, creative solutions like mobile village shops are found, or empty guesthouses become meeting places, it shows that the best places often arise where people take on responsibility together. Our task as the Left is to politically support this courage. Attractive communities are not those with the largest building expansions on the village edge, but those with short distances, functioning infrastructure, and a lively neighborhood.
4. Health: Close, solidarious, just
Good health care does not start in the operating room, but in everyday life: with pediatric care, midwives, and psychiatric counseling. In our region, however, doctors, midwives, and psychological services are lacking – especially in rural areas.
We want to reclaim municipal responsibility and secure it: health care must not depend on private interests. Hospitals under public ownership ensure medical care even when it is economically “not profitable.” Obstetric care, emergency medicine, and local-access care are part of the mandatory tasks.
This also includes:
- access to abortion must be secured
- Municipalities should actively recruit medical staff – e.g., with housing, practice-startup assistance, or local networks
- Mobile medical services, health buses, or regional clinics can close gaps
Solidarity also means not leaving people alone when it comes to care, mental strain, or existential decisions. We want to promote low-threshold counseling services and health education on site.
Solidarity in health means: care for everyone, not for a few.
5. Youth: Stay, Shape, Return
Many young people leave our region - not because they love the country less, but because they see no perspective. If the apprenticeship or study place is two hours away, the bus doesn’t run, culture is missing, and political participation is impossible, the village loses its future. We want to change that. Youth need space, a voice and freedom.
Municipal youth councils, consumption-free spaces, and support for subcultures and own projects must be promoted. Youth should not be “cared for,” but involved. Education and studies must remain accessible - with buses, housing, and support for rural travel.
At the same time, we want to rethink volunteering: of course the fire brigade, sports club, or traditional club are valuable - but political groups, environmental protection, music, technology, or digital engagement deserve recognition and support.
The future for us means not only maintaining infrastructure but also building trust that it’s worthwhile to stay. Our program presents a utopia - but one that already begins when the youth center is open, the bus runs, and young people experience that they are needed here, not merely tolerated. Young people stay if they are needed. And they come back if they feel they can build something here.
6. Safety: A Community Task
Safety for us is not a matter of isolation or surveillance – it is a expression of a solidaric society. We want everyone to feel free, protected, and welcome – in the countryside and in the city, day and night, in daily life or at the fair. This includes: protection from violence, accessible help in emergencies, and public places that do not just promise safety but make it possible.
Women who are affected by violence need support services without having to give up their entire social environment. Therefore we demand widespread, locally available women’s shelters and barrier-free mother-child housing – also in rural areas. These facilities must be secured in the long term and publicly funded. We also advocate expanding and promoting services for LGBTQ+ youth and other people so that they also find protection, support, and a safe space.
Safety starts early. Children who learn to treat each other with respect, to resolve conflicts non-violently, and to accept diversity will become confident adults who look after one another. Therefore schools, youth centers, and clubs must be places where exactly this is fostered.
Violence prevention, gender-sensitive education, and low-threshold counseling are a fixed part of municipal care. A safe municipality protects all people equally and thrives on our active responsibility, solidarity, and mutual support – because safety only succeeds if we create it together.