Mayor of Tübingen - Ex-Green Boris Palmer enters the race for Free Voters
Tübingen's Lord Mayor Boris Palmer is running for the list of the Free Voters Association (FWV) in the constituency of Tübingen in the local elections in Baden-Württemberg on June 9, 2024, Palmer announced on Monday in Tübingen. Palmer said of his motivation: "It's about money." A district levy of 60 million euros is planned for the coming year. In the district council, he could have a say in the amount of the district levy and how much money would flow back into his city for projects. It makes sense for the Lord Mayor to sit on the district council.
"I think he fits in well with our group," SWR quoted Thomas Hölsch, parliamentary group leader of the Free Voters Association, as saying on Sunday. The Free Voters Association is independent of political parties and only committed to the local cause. "We also allow everyone to contribute their own ideas." The "Schwäbisches Tagblatt" first reported on Palmer's plans.
Boris Palmer has repeatedly caused a stir
Palmer (51) has been mayor of Tübingen since 2007 and has repeatedly caused a stir with his political statements. His statements on refugee policy, for example, have often caused controversy and he has also been accused of racism. However, his management during the coronavirus pandemic and his municipal environmental policy attracted nationwide attention and recognition.
In May of this year, the controversial politician resigned from the Green Party following a scandal over the use of the N-word at a migration conference in Frankfurt. His membership had previously been suspended due to other controversial statements.
The Free Voters Association (FWV) has nothing to do with the Free Voters party, Hölsch told the German Press Agency. The FWV was founded in the 1950s. After the Federal Association of Free Voters was constituted in 2010, the FWV wanted to have the name "Freie Wähler" protected because it feared a possible risk of confusion as harmful to itself. However, the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court ruled against this in 2010. As a result, the Federal Association of Free Voters was allowed to continue using the term "Freie Wähler" in the future.
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Boris Palmer, the former Green Party mayor of Tübingen, is not only joining the Free Voters Association (FWV) for the local elections in 2024 but also found support from Thomas Hölsch, the parliamentary group leader of the FWV. Hölsch stated that Palmer's ideas align well with their group and that they welcome diverse contributions for the local cause.
Following his resignation from the Green Party due to a scandal, Boris Palmer, a known controversial figure, now seeks a new path with the independent Free Voters Association (FWV), whose main focus is local affairs and welcomes various ideas.
Source: www.stern.de
