Who will soon be sitting in the executive chair in Heidelberg City Hall? Theresia Bauer (Greens) and Eckart Würzner (independent) want to achieve the majority of the votes in the second ballot on Sunday. But there is a third applicant.
Heidelberg (dpa / lsw) - The people of Heidelberg have been called to the second round of the election for mayor. In the second ballot this Sunday, there is likely to be a duel between the non-party incumbent Eckart Würzner and his green challenger Theresia Bauer. A third candidate, Björn Leuzinger of the satirical party The Party, received only 1.79 percent of the vote in the first election on November 6, but is standing for re-election.
The 61-year-old Würzner is aiming for a third term. In the first ballot had reached 45.9 percent of the votes. Ex-Science Minister Bauer got 28.6 percent. SPD candidate Sören Michelsburg, in third place with 13.5 percent, had withdrawn his candidacy and had not recommended any of the candidates. He assumes that his followers will switch half to Bauer and half to Würzner.
Originally, nine men and women stood for election. In the second ballot, the candidate with the most votes wins. 107,000 eligible voters in the university town are called to vote.
Bauer (57), who studied political science and German in Heidelberg, presents herself as a "social-ecological alternative" to the incumbent, who is supported by the CDU and FDP. The mother of two said: "I stand for a change in political style, for a better climate of togetherness and for the consistent implementation of our ambitious climate goals." According to the Greens, they are relying on an alliance of “change voters”, and they also count personalities from the SPD, FDP and the Colorful Left Party.
Würzner warned that his re-election was already sealed. "Every vote counts," said the city's former environmental mayor. The father of four received 84.44 percent of the votes in the mayoral election eight years ago - with a turnout of 21.8 percent. In the election three weeks ago, 51.29 percent of those entitled went to the ballot box or voted by post.
Bauer, who was named Science Minister of the Year four times by the German University Association, wants to further strengthen the city in the competition for innovations and the brightest minds as a location for health and life sciences such as the university hospital, German Cancer Research Center and European Laboratory for Molecular Biology. Würzner names the "City on the River" project as a matter close to his heart, with which he wants to upgrade the core area of the city on both sides of the Neckar.
