Axel Strasser: Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder) with 69.8%!

Axel Strasser: Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder) with 69.8%!

The change at the top of Frankfurt (Oder) has been completed: Axel Strasser, a non-party candidate, won an extraordinary 69.8% of the vote in an exciting runoff election on Sunday. His competitor, Wilko Möller from the AfD, was only able to win 30.2%. With a voter turnout of 49.4%, around 46,257 eligible voters exercised their right to vote, which are pretty decent numbers.

Strasser's victory is all the more remarkable because he had already taken the lead in the first round of voting in September with 32.4% of the vote and a turnout of 53.4%. At that time, Möller was just behind him with 30.2%, followed by the CDU candidate Désirée Schrade (28.8%) and the SPD candidate Simona Koß (8.6%). Since none of the candidates received the required 50% of the votes, a runoff election was necessary, which Strasser has now decided for himself daily news reported.

A new course for Frankfurt (Oder)

Axel Strasser, who has lived in the city with his partner for five years and previously worked in the business and cultural scene, is planning big changes for Frankfurt (Oder). He wants to make administration faster, more digital and multilingual and revitalize life on the Oder. “I want to bring companies to Frankfurt (Oder) and connect the city more closely with the Polish Słubice,” explained Strasser after his election, as in an article MAZ Online is to be read.

His predecessor, René Wilke, who was appointed Brandenburg Interior Minister, appears to be fully behind Strasser and has already expressed his support. Although Wilke supported the CDU candidate Schrade in the first round of voting, the CDU did not openly position itself for Strasser, but rather spoke out against Möller. The SPD and the Left, however, were clear supporters of Strasser.

The election was also a test for the AfD. Möller, who was previously known as a police officer and member of the state parliament and who started his political career in the FDP, was disappointed. “Not only the AfD lost, but all parties should draw conclusions from this,” emphasized Möller. In addition to his demands for more police presence and a new training center for the federal police, he also wants to pursue plans for an AfD-led state government.

The look ahead

The elections in Frankfurt (Oder) clearly show the challenges facing politics. The Brandenburg AfD is now classified as “certainly right-wing extremist”, which further complicates the political landscape. The election outcome could also play a role in future elections in Brandenburg, where similar sentiments can be expected as on GESIS is described.

Axel Strasser has a lot ahead of him with his clear mission, but he seems certain to have the support of the population. His visions for Frankfurt (Oder) could lead the city into a new era. The next few months will show whether Strasser's plans come to fruition in practice and whether life on the Oder really blossoms.