Municipal election - Whirl around the AFD man as deputy mayor
The election of AfD representative Werner Schwaben as deputy mayor in the District Council West in Saarbrucken caused a stir in Saarland politics. Schwaben secured his victory with ten votes against CDU candidate Volker Arnold, who received seven, according to the city of Saarbrucken.
Mayor Uwe Conradt (CDU) expressed disappointment: "This decision contradicts the values that our state capital stands for: openness, tolerance, and democratic coexistence. The political actors in the District Council West who made this decision have caused damage to the reputation of the city and democracy," he stated.
CDU calls election "Scandal"
The CDU in Saarland refers to this as a "scandal" that falls on the account of the SPD. "Apparently, the SPD representatives have elected the AfD candidate in error instead of the CDU candidate," the General Secretary of the CDU Saar, Frank Wagner, stated.
It could not have been calculated otherwise, as the CDU representatives would have all voted for their candidate and were ready to swear an oath to that effect, he explained. The CDU Saar rejects coalitions or similar forms of cooperation with the AfD, even in local councils. This includes negotiations before elections and votes.
The AfD holds five seats, the SPD has eight, the CDU six, Greens and the Left each have one mandate. Four votes were invalid in this election.
Questions about the new District Mayor
The election of the new District Mayor also raised questions, according to Mayor Conradt. The incumbent, Isolde Ries (SPD) with the strongest faction in the council, had applied for re-election but only received ten votes. Hans-Jürgen Altes from the CDU faction was elected with eleven votes instead. This raised speculation about possible AfD votes for him.
Ex-Minister President Hans reacts
Former Saar Minister President Tobias Hans (CDU), an MP in the Landtag, wrote about this on the platform X: "Instead of electing an AfD man as deputy mayor and accepting possible AfD votes in the election for mayor, one should accept a former Landtag deputy president (Isolde Ries), who was always elected with CDU votes?! That cannot be left unchallenged."
- Despite the controversy surrounding the election, the Swabians, a faction within the AfD, managed to secure a seat in the Saarbrucken Municipal election.
- The CDU, being the largest party in Saarland, is concerned about the implications of the election result for the democratic values of the Saar commune.
- The SPD, with eight seats in the District Council West, is also facing scrutiny for their role in the election of the AfD representative, Werner Schwaben.
- The mayor of Saarbrucken, Uwe Conradt from the CDU, has criticized the decision, stating that it goes against the principles of openness, tolerance, and democratic coexistence that the city stands for.
- The CDU and SPD, two major parties in Saarland politics, have a history of differing views, and this election outcome is likely to fuel further political tension in the region.
- The Municipal election in Saarbrucken serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between democracy and political ideologies, and the impact that individual decisions can have on the political landscape of a region.
