New Mayor for Potsdam: Six candidates in the race!

New Mayor for Potsdam: Six candidates in the race!

Potsdam, Deutschland - in Potsdam, the political landscape is bubbling after the former mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) was voted off by a citizens' decision on May 25, 2025. Almost 52,000 Potsdam made this important decision, which is a considerable mobilization among the approximately 143,000 voters. With 36,228 yes votes, Schubert was voted out after he was criticized for a lack of management and bad communication, among other things due to the so-called VIP ticket affair, which ultimately led to his fall. The citizens' decision was supported by all factions to the SPD, which illustrates the estrangement within politics. This is a remarkable turn in the history of the city, because since the turn, Schubert has been the first mayor to be voted out. In May 1998, Horst Gramlich (SPD) suffered a similar fate.

With the deselection, the election campaign for its successor begins. The election committee opened the doors to the candidates on September 21: six men and a woman applied for the successor. Among them Severin Fischer (SPD), Clemens Viehrig (CDU), Chaled-Uwe Said (AfD), Dirk Harder (independent, but supported by the left), Michael Reichert (Free Voters), Alexander Dietmar Wietschel (the party) and Noosha Aubel (non-partisan, supported by the Greens/the other/volt). The interest is great, but the competition is strong - five applicants failed due to the requirements that requested 112 valid support signatures.

important dates and participation

The elections take place in a special environment. Stefan Tolksdorf, the election manager, emphasizes the difficulty of making concrete forecasts about the outcome of the competition. The mood becomes all the more exciting, because the election campaign falls into the summer vacation, which is considered rather unusual. The deadlines are clear: Election notifications will be sent from August 11th and the documents for postal voting can also be requested from this date. The runoff in the event that no candidate reaches the absolute majority of 50% is scheduled for October 12th.

The turnout in Potsdam was 53%in the last municipal election in 2018, but fell to less than 40%in the runoff election. This poses the question of how citizens can be mobilized in this election in order to support a real electoral system, where citizens can exercise their responsibility and power through transparent, direct elections. The Federal Center for Political Education emphasizes that local elections are fundamental elements of democracy.

The challenges for the candidates

The challenge for the new candidates will not only be the ensuring of their election campaigns - they also have to meet the high expectations of voters. Whether it is about transparency in administration, improving communication or solving existing problems in the city, the trust of the citizens must be recovered. Opinions about the political argument are divided, many demand clarity in the strategic control of municipal companies.

The way for the new candidates is paved with challenges and opportunities that have to be mastered in a democratic process. It remains exciting to see how the elections develop and which candidate will make the leap into the town hall. rbb will continue to be critical.