Philipp Preißler elected as the new mayor of Freiberg!

Philipp Preißler elected as the new mayor of Freiberg!

There is reason to be happy in Freiberg! On October 26, 2025, Philipp Preißler was elected as the new mayor by the Free Voters in the second ballot. He secured 45.96 percent of the vote, which is almost 14 percentage points more than in the first round of voting, which took place on September 26th. At that time, none of the five candidates had achieved the required absolute majority, which led to a second round. The city with around 41,000 inhabitants was called upon to elect the new city boss after former mayor Sven Krüger took up his new role as district administrator in the Central Saxony district.

In the first round, numerous candidates achieved impressive results, but it was Preißler who ultimately prevailed. His strongest competitor, Christian Pudack from “Freiberg für alle”, received 24.89 percent of the votes in the second round, followed by Jens Uhlemann from the AfD, who got 18.48 percent. The situation surrounding Steve Ittershagen from the CDU, who was also scheduled for the second round of voting after his withdrawal was not recognized for formal reasons, was particularly exciting. Individual candidate Stefan Krinke withdrew his candidacy after the first round of voting.

Local elections in Germany

The local elections in Germany, which also include the election of the mayor in Freiberg, are laid down in the Basic Law and are characterized by their direct, free and secret implementation. Those eligible to vote in the individual communities are called upon to cast their votes, which has now happened successfully in Freiberg. The elections can also provide a platform for smaller parties or voter communities, such as the Free Voters, which in this case now provide the mayor.

An interesting feature of local elections in Germany is that electoral laws can vary greatly depending on the federal state. In many regions it is common for citizens to directly elect their mayors. This strengthens local political identity and promotes voter engagement. There is also now a greater tendency to support smaller parties or citizens' initiatives, as local issues are often at the forefront and voters are not limited to large parties.

Voter turnout in local elections is usually lower on average than in state or federal elections. That's why it's all the more remarkable that Freiberg voters were so active in the past elections. The clear result for Philipp Preißler shows that citizens have a strong interest in the direction the city should develop.

With Philipp Preißler at the helm, an exciting era is ushered in for Freiberg. The new mayor has a responsible task ahead of him, which will be closely linked to the wishes and suggestions of the citizens of Freiberg. The coming years are likely to present an exciting challenge for both Preißler and the city.

For all information about elections in Germany and their significance, interested readers can go to the website Federal Agency for Civic Education access.