State Parliament - A deputy lays down their mandate in the Landtag and moves to Brussels
The previous faction leader of the Free Voters in the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate, Joachim Streit, has resigned from his mandate as an MP and will join the European Parliament instead. This means that Helge Schwab has officially taken over the position of faction leader. Bernhard Alscher, the mayor of the Verbandsgemeinde Birkenfeld, will replace Streit as an MP in the Mainz parliament. Alscher is expected to be welcomed into the Landtagsfraktion shortly after his vacation.
"I look back on my time in the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag and at the helm of my faction with a mix of sadness and gratitude," said Streit. "Joachim Streit played a significant role in us being recognized as a diligent and innovative faction from the very first day of our parliamentary membership," explained his successor Schwab. The Free Voters have been a Landtagsfraktion with six MPs in the Mainz parliament since 2021. Schwab was previously the deputy faction leader. The 52-year-old was elected at the end of June.
Streit's departure from the Rhineland-Palatinate State parliament will leave a vacancy in the Free Voters' faction, which he led before resigning. The vacancy will be filled by Bernhard Alscher, who currently holds the position of mayor in the Verbandsgemeinde Birkenfeld. His mandate as a deputy in the Mainz parliament will officially commence upon his return from vacation. In the European Parliament, Streit will be replacing a fellow party member, further expanding the Free Voters' presence in Brussels.
As the new leader of the Free Voters in the Rhineland-Palatinate State parliament, Schwab is expected to uphold the faction's reputation as diligent and innovative, as established by Streit. The number of Free Voters in the Mainz parliament has remained constant at six, with Schwab becoming their faction leader in June 2021, following his election as deputy faction leader. The Free Voters currently also hold a mandate in the European Parliament, with Streit joining their European ranks.
