Andreas Marggraf remains mayor of Mücheln – citizens have a say!

Andreas Marggraf remains mayor of Mücheln – citizens have a say!

On Sunday, August 31st, the mayoral election took place in Mücheln, which Andreas Marggraf achieved a pleasing result. The independent incumbent was confirmed in his office with almost 55 percent of the vote. In addition to him, the CDU candidate Romy Richter, who received around 28 percent of the vote, and Frank Sauer from the AfD, who received almost 17 percent, also stood for election.

The voter turnout of around 63 percent painted a positive picture and shows the interest of citizens in local affairs. Thanks to this starting point, there will be no runoff election. Marggraf, who has been in office since 2012 and is 48 years old, would like to focus on more citizen participation in his new term, as he emphasized in his election campaign. His motto was “Stay together”, “Stick with it”, “Stay real”.

Focus on citizen participation

One of Marggraf's central concerns is the introduction of citizen, club and youth budgets. These budgets should be available to citizens in an unbureaucratic manner in order to promote participation in Mücheln. A children's and youth advisory board is also to be gradually established. Investments in the modernization of sanitary areas in primary schools and high schools, as well as security measures in front of daycare centers and schools, are to be supported in order to increase traffic safety.

Another major project that Marggraf is planning is the retail park on Merseburger Strasse, as well as the completion of Ernst-Thälmann-Strasse and the renewal of the bridge on Bachstrasse. He also wants to keep access to the Stöbnitz lido free of charge and promote investment in water sports.

The competitors and their projects

The candidates for mayor brought a lot of different ideas with them. Romy Richter, who works on the Mücheln city council and the district council, is planning to introduce regular citizens' consultation hours in the districts in order to intensify the dialogue with the citizens. In contrast, Frank Sauer from the AfD would like to check the city's finances by plunging the cash register and is against further wind turbines. Solar parks should only be built with the consent of the citizens.

The local elections in Germany enable citizens to decide directly on the composition of their local representatives. The Basic Law regulates that elections must be general, direct, free, equal and secret, which represents an important foundation for democratic participation in our society, states the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Marggraf's re-election shows a clear focus on improving citizen participation and local investment projects, which will hopefully also be supported by the population. At a time when direct participation is more important than ever, it is crucial to hear citizens' voices. The next steps in Mücheln will show whether the announced plans can also be put into practice.

The start of the new term of office coupled with Andreas Marggraf's ambitious goals awakens curiosity about the future development of the city and its residents, who want to continue to be actively involved in shaping it in the spirit of community coexistence.

For more details on the election and the candidates, visit the articles from MDR and MZ. Information about the general election processes in Germany can be found at Federal Agency for Civic Education.