Peter Feldmann is Frankfurt's mayor only until Friday, when the SPD politician has to vacate his post. After closing ranks for his deselection, the parties are now switching to campaigning. In March, the citizens will vote again.
Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - After the surprisingly clear deselection of Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD), the parties are preparing for a re-election of the post at the top of the city. The Frankfurt CDU chose the 53-year-old Uwe Becker as their candidate on Monday, the personnel now has to be approved by a district party conference on November 26th. SPD, FDP and Greens want to decide in the coming days. According to the will of the coalition of Greens, SPD, FDP and Volt as well as the opposition CDU, the new election is to take place on March 5th. City councilors will vote on the proposed date next week.
Feldmann has to leave office as a result of a referendum this Friday (November 11). On that day, the municipal election committee determines the official final result. From then on, Feldmann's deputy, the Green politician Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, will be in charge of official business.
The Frankfurt SPD wants to make a proposal for a candidate next Thursday. The Greens announced that they would present a personnel proposal at a district general meeting on November 19. "After that we will get into the mayor's election campaign," said the district association. The FDP referred to a district membership meeting next Saturday, at which it should be decided whether there will be a candidate.
After allegations of corruption, embarrassing slips and sexist sayings by Feldmann, a broad alliance in Frankfurt's Römer initiated a voting procedure. According to the provisional final result on Sunday evening, 95.1 percent of the votes cast went for Feldmann's deselection. Almost 202,000 Frankfurters voted for it, which was significantly more votes than would have been necessary.
Feldmann initially left the question of his future plans open on Monday. He must first cope with the deselection, he said in Frankfurt. A lot of what was said or written about him was very hurtful and also demeaning. He wanted to continue to work for the city, the citizens and social politics, he didn't want to retire, he said without becoming more specific. He also left open whether he would continue to be a member of his party.
Another trial day in the corruption trial against him is scheduled for next Wednesday. Among other things, Feldmann is said to have given his girlfriend at the time an overpaid job as head of a daycare center run by Arbeiterwohlfahrt (Awo). In return, the public prosecutor's office accuses him of being willing to adopt a benevolent policy towards the social association. Feldmann has rejected this.
