Susanne Reich ceremoniously sworn in: her second term of office begins!

Susanne Reich ceremoniously sworn in: her second term of office begins!

In a festive atmosphere, Vice District Councilor Susanne Reich took her oath for another term of office in Schmalkalden-Meiningen today. The swearing-in took place during the last meeting of the district council, and District Administrator Peggy Greiser was the one who administered the oath of office to Reich. In her speech, Susanne Reich vowed to uphold the Basic Law and the Constitution of the Free State of Thuringia as well as all applicable laws. This commitment not only represents a formal step, but also reflects their determination to conduct official business diligently and impartially. The full-time councilor was elected unopposed in April of this year for a further term of office until 2031.

Susanne Reich, who has been working as a full-time deputy in the district office since 2019, has extensive qualifications - she has a master's degree in law and heads the order and security department in the district office. A look at the structure of the district council shows the diversity of cooperation between the various factions, including the CDU, SPD, AfD and DIE LINKE, all of which are working together on the challenges that the district has to overcome and to which Susanne Reich will make a significant contribution. The complexity of the political landscape in Thuringia should not be underestimated, especially with regard to the local elections that took place on May 26, 2024 and achieved a remarkable result.

The political map and next steps

The local elections held in May 2024 had a voter turnout of 62.6%, an increase compared to 2019. A total of 1,733,625 citizens were eligible to vote, of which 1,084,929 cast their votes. The result has had a significant impact on the distribution of seats in the district council: the CDU is in first place with 270 seats, followed by the AfD with 255 seats and the SPD with 112 seats. In this mixed political landscape, Susanne Reich must demonstrate that she has a knack for cross-party collaboration. Their experience and expertise will be crucial to successfully mastering the district's law and order and security challenges as well as its financial affairs.

The work of the district council is divided into numerous committees, with the full-time councilor acting as a deputy in several important committees. These include the district and finance committee as well as the board of trustees of the Meininger Kliniken, to name just a few. She not only brings in her legal expertise, but also has to be able to balance the different interests of the factions. Collaboration in these committees is of great importance for the future development of Schmalkalden-Meiningen.

The challenges that await Susanne Reich and her colleagues in the coming years could hardly be more diverse. But with her commitment and experience, she is ideally equipped to set a clear course in the district's landscape. We hope that everyone involved continues to do good business in the political arena and pulls together.

For further information on the current political developments and the committees in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, you can read more here: insuedthueringen.de, lra-sm.de as well as in the Wikipedia.