Sylter is faculty-ing mayoral positions into premature departures
After overcoming exhaustion, Nikolas Häckel was supposed to resume his duty as Sylt's mayor. However, his antagonists pointed fingers at him for neglect and started a move to oust him. On a Sunday, the denizens of the North Sea isle voted for his ouster. Häckel, the ex-mayor, accepted the news placidly and opted to retreat to a monastery.
For this notable day, Nikolas Häckel did not opt for a casual attire. Clad in a dark blue cord suit, accentuated with a red fabric rose in its buttonhole, the dismissed Sylt mayor, who was an independent, personally visited the town hall in Westerland on Sunday evening. According to the initial count, 4342 residents of the Sylt community, including its districts Westerland, Tinnum, Rantum, Archsum, Keitum, Morsum, and Munkmarsch, voted for his ouster. 860 voted against it. There had been brouhahas about the position at the Westerland town hall for quite some time beforehand.
Lars Schmidt, a Sylt resident, contested Häckel in 2021. Now, he sympathizes with his rival on the North Sea isle, despite accepting the result of the political decision: "The handling of his illness is heartbreaking and ethically challenging to defend. Illness is as taboo in the insular system of work and profit as drugs or exploitation and overworking of labor forces."
Häckel, as mayor, always prioritized the people of Sylt, said Schmidt. "Specifically, those who reside permanently and for whom he passionately advocated, not Sylt as a business model and brand."
Deputy continues in office for the time being
On July 18, the council politicians decided to initiate a recall procedure against the full-time Sylt mayor Häckel. At least 20% of all eligible voters had to vote for the recall, which translated to 2,487 votes.
Häckel had been steering the administration on the North Sea isle since 2015 and intended to return to the top position after recovering from exhaustion. Politicians accused him of various wrongdoings, such as years of financial mismanagement, poor communication, insufficient trust, and inadequacies in his administrative work.
"Nothing alters in the town hall for now," said Florian Korte, spokesperson for the Sylt community. Since the deputy situation had already arisen, Häckel's first deputy, Carsten Kerkamm, was already handling the official duties as the acting mayor. The deputy regime will continue until a new full-time mayor is chosen, Korte stated.
Häckel sees recall as "massive gift"
Council politicians are now planning for a reboot. "We now have the opportunity to substantially enhance the level of trust, and we may discover new structural changes for the overall administration of the island for the future," said Andreas Dobrzinski, chairman of the Sylt community. Negotiations with Kreis Nordfriesland are scheduled to discuss potential new structures. Details were not disclosed upon request.
Häckel accepted his recall with poise. In the ensuing week, he intends to retreat to a monastery in Bavaria and stay there for at least three months. "Now I'm retiring, I'll appreciate life, take vacations, indulge in hobbies - and at the age of 50, I find that a massive gift," he said. He does not have any plans to leave the island at the moment. The recall did not catch him off guard; he was well-prepared for it. He had dealt with the election results early on - even if he would have liked to continue, Häckel acknowledged.
On October 2nd, the municipal election committee will convene in Westerland. On that day, the provisional election result will be finalized, and Nikolas Häckel will be placed in interim retirement. The search for suitable candidates on the island has now commenced. Who will contest for the position of mayor remains - at least publicly - completely unclear. According to the municipal ordinance, a new mayor must be elected within six months.
The council politicians initiated a recall procedure against Häckel due to various accusations, requiring at least 2,487 votes. Since Häckel's first deputy, Carsten Kerkamm, was already handling the duties, the deputy regime continues in the town hall until a new full-state mayor is chosen.
After accepting his recall with poise, Häckel shared his plans to retreat to a monastery in Bavaria for three months, stating that retiring at the age of 50 was a "massive gift" for him.
