Potsdam is new: Mayor Mike Schubert voted out!

Potsdam is new: Mayor Mike Schubert voted out!

Potsdam, Deutschland - On May 25, 2025, Potsdam's Mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) was voted out in a citizens' decision. According to rbb24 , the vote resulted in a clear majority for the deselection. Of the more than 143,000 eligible voters, 36,228 voted for the deselection, which is 68.3% of the votes cast. The quorum of 25% of those entitled to vote was narrowly reached. The turnout was 37.2%.

The Potsdam election committee plans to determine the official final result on June 2. If the result is confirmed, Schubert's term also ends on this day. Burkhard Exner (SPD), who will take over until the new election in autumn 2025, commented on the political developments in the city.

political reactions to the deselection

Schubert was respectful of the will of the voters and described his term as honor. The SPD-Co district association chief Thomas Bachmann spoke of a difficult evening and a needed restart for Potsdam. Political opponents see a chance for a fresh start in the election. Die Linke sees the outcome of the citizens' decision positively: Co-district chairman Jörg Schindler reports on an end to the phase of the political loss of trust and the blockages and demands a new leadership that takes city needs seriously.

The description application that led to the implementation of the citizens' decision was supported in April by almost all city councils except the SPD. Schubert had opposed the application, which led to this referendum. The city is now discussing how the political landscape can be redesigned.

meaning of the citizens' decision

Citizens' decisions are an important instrument of direct democracy at the local level in Germany. They enable citizens to decide on questions of their own sphere of activity. According to Wikipedia , citizens' decisions have the same status as a decision of the elected municipal agency and promote public discourse.

In the case of Potsdam, the citizens made a clear statement through their voices. The process was initiated by a citizens' request that offers possibilities for verbseurng and revival of political communication. Schubert was criticized, especially because of an investigation in connection with free VIP ticket allocation, which continues to undermine trust in his leadership.

The next steps for Potsdam are now expected with the greatest interest, since the city society is looking forward to how the new leadership will be able to take its concerns and needs seriously.