Mayoral elections 2025: Non-party rise shakes Brandenburg!

Mayoral elections 2025: Non-party rise shakes Brandenburg!

Mayoral elections took place in five cities in Brandenburg last weekend and the results caused quite a stir. In Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder), independent candidates are in the runoff election, which amazes the audience. Particularly noteworthy: In Potsdam, the independent candidates entered the race with an impressive 34% of the vote, while the SPD only achieved 16.9%. In Frankfurt (Oder), the independent candidate Axel Strasser also topped with 32.4% and will compete against the AfD candidate Wilko Möller (30.2%). In the city, the SPD did not do well with only 8.6% of the vote. This situation is a further indication of the growing importance of independent candidates, but also raises questions about the future role of the established parties.

The SPD mayor Mike Schubert was voted out of Potsdam. After the SPD's poor performance, Kurt Fischer, the party's general secretary, emphasized how essential it was for candidates to have roots in the respective region. This seems to be of interest to more and more voters who, in the last election, focused on local problems and proximity to citizens instead of focusing exclusively on party political interests. This is also confirmed by CDU state leader Jan Redmann, who emphasized the importance of the person in the party register.

AfD and other parties in the shadow of the independents

The situation of the AfD is also interesting. Although it made it to the runoff in Frankfurt (Oder), the party feels weakened overall. According to the AfD parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Berndt, the discrepancy between ballot boxes and postal votes has a negative impact on the AfD's results. Historian Ilko Sascha-Kowalczuk also observes that many voters do not trust the AfD candidates to carry out appropriate local politics. In other places, such as Velten and Glienicke/Nordbahn, the AfD did not manage to get into the runoff, while candidates from electoral alliances and the established parties predominate there.

What is even more remarkable is the fact that, according to the current status, elections will be held in almost 30 other cities in Brandenburg by the end of this year. In particular, the next elections in Oranienburg, Luckenwalde, Rheinsberg and Eisenhüttenstadt are likely to stimulate further discussions on the topic of independents and their rise. The first runoff election is scheduled for October 12th.

The development of local politics

The current situation, also in the context of the planned local elections in June 2024, shows another trend: the number of candidates has increased - a total of 6,428 want to stand for election, more than in the last election five years ago. The demand for proximity to citizens and local engagement is becoming more prominent, as many voters increasingly view parties as unhelpful authorities. Political scientists warn of a possible disconnection of citizens from the established parties, especially in rural areas, where unfiltered concerns and interests are better represented by independent candidates.

The CDU candidate Arno Steguweit is currently leading in Glienicke/Nordbahn. The situation shows that voters are now looking for personalities who are committed to local issues and that the figure of independent candidates is on the rise. The wind of change is blowing in Brandenburg and it remains to be seen in which direction the political landscape will develop.