Malfunction in leadership - Sylter should vote on the future of the Mayor
Full audience seats and numerous journalists at the town hall in Westerland show that the issue is highly contentious - beyond the borders of Sylt: At the town hall in Westerland, 26 council members voted for a removal procedure against the mayor of the community Sylt, Nikolas Häckel (independent), on Thursday evening, June 26. With this, the necessary two-thirds majority was obtained, with which the procedure for the removal of Nikolas Häckel can begin.
Since February, he has been sick-listed. The factions - with the exception of the SSW - had submitted a corresponding application for the procedure at the end of June, according to a spokesperson for the community Sylt.
Communal politicians lament lack of trust
"The completely unsatisfactory state in the community Sylt and the affiliated municipalities is largely due to the leadership of Nikolas Häckel," the factions stated in a statement. They accuse Häckel of, among other things, the current financial crisis, lack of communication, and administrative shortcomings, which a control report of the district of Nordfriesland for the period 2010 to 2022 last revealed.
The relationship of trust between the mayor and the town council is therefore reportedly severely damaged, so that "healing or restoration no longer seems possible," said the mayor of the community Sylt, Andreas Dobrzinski. In light of Häckel's illness, the decision was not easy.
Already in the summer of 2023, Häckel had been unable to perform his duties for several weeks - he had been declared unfit for duty by his treating doctor due to a stress-related mental illness, according to the community Sylt at the time.
Häckel remains silent
Häckel himself did not attend the meeting - his lawyer represented him. "He is unfit for duty, that has been confirmed by the occupational doctor - there is no doubt about it," said Häckel's lawyer, Trutz Graf Kerssenbrock. He vehemently opposed the removal procedure - the allegations against his client and the proceedings were unfounded.
"That's also a question of humanity, if you mean to dismiss a mayor who has done his job properly and has given his entire responsibility and strength," said he. Häckel is being held responsible for things that are not in his responsibility. The 50-year-old himself remained silent on dpa's request.
The citizens of the community Sylt will decide on the removal on September 29. According to the community regulations, a majority of at least 20 percent of the eligible voters - that is, 2,600 residents of the community - must vote for the removal for Häckel to be removed from office.
Possible new elections in Sylt 2025
"If the majority for a removal is reached, Mayor Nikolas Häckel will leave office with effect from the day the newly formed ballot commission confirms this result," said Hans-Martin Slopianka, spokesperson for the district of Nordfriesland. If the majority for the removal is not reached, the mayor will resume his duties immediately.
The necessary new election of a mayor or mayor must be held according to law no later than six months after the ballot result. Realistically, such a new election could take place in the first quarter of 2025, Slopianka added.
The Sylter CDU can reposition itself.
I find it good that such a clear result was expressed by the community representatives, but it's not about Häckel as a person, but about his work as Mayor, stated Gritje Stöver, Chairman of the Main Committee (CDU).
She advocates for a purified office model - that is, a Mayor for the community of Sylt and additionally an Administrator, who takes over the administration of the four municipalities of Kampen, Wenningstedt-Braderup, List and Hörnum. Currently, the responsible full-time administrative head is located in Westerland for both tasks.
With a possible new election, it could succeed for the strong island-CDU to elect their own party candidate for the Mayor position. This has not been achieved for many years.
Abdication procedures in Schleswig-Holstein
An Mayor abdication procedure has not occurred on Sylt at least in the past 50 years. According to statistics, how many abdication procedures there were in Schleswig-Holstein, or on Sylt, in the past is not recorded, said Tim Radtke, spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Kiel.
In Schleswig-Holstein, the Mayor of Wedel (Kreis Pinneberg) was last abdicated. The Mayor of St. Peter-Ording (Kreis Nordfriesland) faced the threat of premature abdication - but failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority. He later resigned on his own accord.
At the end of June, it became known that the full-time Mayor of Sylt, despite illness, wanted to return to the Chief's seat in the town hall in Westerland. Häckel has been leading the administration on the North Sea island since 2015. He is currently represented by his deputy, Carsten Kerkamm (CDU).
- The withdrawal procedure against Mayor Nikolas Häckel of Sylt, a commune in North Frisia, Germany, was initiated due to allegations of financial crisis, lack of communication, and administrative shortcomings, according to the factions.
- The removal procedure requires the approval of at least 20% of the eligible voters in the community Sylt to be successful, leading to a potential future without Nikolas Häckel as mayor.
- The town of Westerland, located in the Westerland on the island of Sylt, has been a center of controversy surrounding the leadership of Mayor Nikolas Häckel and the proposed withdrawal procedure.
- The Sylter CDU, a political party in Schleswig-Holstein, sees the removal procedure as an opportunity to reposition themselves and potentially elect their own candidate as Mayor of Sylt in the future.
- The withdrawal procedure against Mayor Häckel, if successful, would mark a significant event, as an abdication procedure in Schleswig-Holstein, where Sylt is located, has not occurred in at least 50 years.
- Meanwhile, Nikolas Häckel, who has been sick-listed since February, remains silent on the withdrawal procedure, with his lawyer vehemently opposing the procedure and stating that the allegations against him are unfounded.
