Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The Frankfurt SPD leader Mike Josef described the resignation of Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD), announced for the beginning of next year, as the "right decision". He was informed about this step, said Josef on Tuesday. "With this decision, a new start is possible. Clarity has now been created and there has also been some relief. Now we can concentrate on important issues again."
Feldmann has been charged in connection with the Awo affair and has also noticed other slips in the past few weeks. Most recently, even the Frankfurt SPD, as Feldmann's own party, had called for his resignation. And the city council actually wanted to decide on the deselection procedure in the coming week.
Whether it comes to that is a decision of the parliamentary groups, said Josef. Personally, he was also relieved by the decision of the mayor, who is currently in Vietnam and was therefore not available for questions on Tuesday.
The 1.6 million euros that a vote-out procedure would cost are "better invested with the people in this city," stressed Josef. After months of discussion about Feldmann as a person, the Roman coalition can now turn to substantive issues again. When asked if he thought it was possible for Feldmann to step down from the announced withdrawal, Josef said: "He has stated it publicly. I'll take the mayor at his word."
