Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - The mayor of Tübingen, Boris Palmer, wants to withdraw from politics if he misses his re-election next weekend. "If I can't decide this election for myself, the political figure Boris Palmer is finished," he told the "Pforzheimer Zeitung" (Saturday). Then he would be a private person and would also hold back from speaking in the party. But he wants to remain a member of the Green Party.
Palmer was mayor of Tübingen for 16 years and is running as an independent candidate in the mayoral elections on October 23. His membership in the Greens will be suspended until the end of 2023 because of a dispute over taboo breaches and allegations of racism. His biggest competitors in the election are Ulrike Baumgärtner (Greens) and Sofie Geisel (SPD, supported by the FDP).
He would like to continue if he has a majority of the population behind him, Palmer said. But if that is not the case, he wants to stop after the first ballot. "Then I'll be retired, have three children and when the weather is nice I'll ride my bike. I haven't had enough time for my family for the past 20 years anyway."
