Potsdam is electing a woman, Noosha Aubel, for the first time in 35 years!

Potsdam is electing a woman, Noosha Aubel, for the first time in 35 years!

In a surprising turning point for Potsdam's political landscape, Noosha Aubel becomes the city's new mayor. With an impressive share of the vote of 72.9%, the independent individual candidate prevailed in the runoff against the SPD candidate Severin Fischer, who received 27.1% of the vote. This means that the Social Democrats are losing the top position in the town hall after 35 years daily news reported.

The election took place on October 12, 2025 and marks a historic moment for Potsdam, as Aubel is the first female mayor since 1984 and the first non-party mayor in the state capital. In the first round of voting on September 21st, with 34.0%, she was well ahead of Fischer (16.9%), but fell short of an absolute majority. Voter turnout was 42.5% in the runoff election, after 55.5% of eligible voters cast their votes in the first round.

A strong foundation and support from various parties

Noosha Aubel, who was born in Hanover and grew up in Düsseldorf, brought a wide range of experiences with her. She was previously an education representative in Potsdam, but resigned in 2023 due to dissatisfaction with the work of the elected mayor Mike Schubert (SPD). She is currently a city councilor for education, integration, public services and security in Flensburg. Loud Daily Mirror In her election she received numerous supports from various parties, including the Greens, the electoral group Die Andere, BfW and Volt.

Overall, they won in all 131 electoral districts, and support was particularly strong in Babelsberg South, where they received 86.7% of the vote. This shows that Potsdam voters recognize and support the need for change. In her role, she is planning a comprehensive transformation of the administration and the establishment of a “housing agency” to help structurally disadvantaged citizens.

Women in leadership positions on the rise

Noosha Aubel's election is not only a victory for her personally, but also a further step towards equality in local politics. The proportion of women in the mayor's office in Germany is only 13.5%, which means that less than one in seven municipalities is led by a woman. Aubel is only the second woman to lead a state capital as mayor, after the former mayor of Magdeburg, Simone Borris DSTGB highlights. Although the proportion of women in Brandenburg is 16.4%, there is still a significant need for action to bring more women into leadership positions. Simon Stocker, a researcher from the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Stuttgart, emphasizes the need for standardized data to document changes in the political landscape.

Noosha Aubel will now begin her eight-year term, which is full of challenges and opportunities. Their goal is to find a stable majority with democratic partners on an issue-oriented basis. The Potsdam election campaign and the result clearly show that a good wind is blowing for fresh ideas and different politics right now.