With a surprisingly clear result, the citizens of Frankfurt voted out their controversial Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD). Even before the provisional result of the deselection procedure was known on Sunday evening, Feldmann appeared calmly in front of the cameras in Frankfurt's Römer and admitted his defeat. The necessary quorum was clearly exceeded in the referendum. According to the preliminary final result, 95.1 percent of the votes cast went for the deselection of the 64-year-old. In the end, almost 202,000 Frankfurt residents voted for it.
One of the triggers for repeated calls for his resignation and ultimately the deselection process was Feldmann's indictment on suspicion of corruption. In addition, there have been several public missteps and embarrassing slips in recent months. A broad coalition had formed in Frankfurt's Römer to vote him out, including his own party, the SPD. Its chairman Mike Josef said on Sunday evening that the citizens had restored the city's reputation. A fresh start is now possible.
Feldmann's term ends next Friday (November 11). On that day, the municipal election committee determines the official final result. From then on, Feldmann's deputy, the Green politician Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, will be in charge of official business. She said in the evening that trust in politics and the city's reputation had to be restored.
A period of four months begins on Friday, within which the new election must take place. So no later than March 12, according to the responsible office for statistics and elections. The parties want to present their candidates quickly.
The background to the court case against Feldmann is the scandal at the Frankfurt workers' welfare organization (Awo), whose management staff is accused of fraud in the millions. Among other things, Feldmann is said to have given his girlfriend at the time an overpaid job as head of an Awo daycare center. In return, the public prosecutor's office accuses him of being willing to adopt a benevolent policy towards the social association. Feldmann has rejected this, most recently in a detailed statement in court.
With surprisingly private statements about the nature of the relationship with his then girlfriend and later wife and her unwanted pregnancy, the 64-year-old had triggered a new wave of criticism. He did not appear on the following day of the hearing due to a mental state of emergency.
Feldmann had already antagonized Frankfurt's Eintracht and their fans by snatching the European Cup they had just won at the victory celebrations. Since then he has been an unwanted person in the stadium. There were also other gaffes and sexist sayings. Feldmann ignored calls for his resignation. He was nicknamed "Pattex-Peter" in headlines, sticking to his chair.
Ten years ago, Feldmann was first elected head of Germany's fifth-largest city and governed it for many years as a citizen-friendly and popular politician. When he was re-elected in 2018, he won the runoff with almost 71 percent. Now more than half a million people were asked to vote on his deselection - the decision was an absolute novelty for the Main metropolis. According to the Hessian Association of Cities, it is extremely rare for a mayor to be voted out of office.
Feldmann spoke in front of his office in Frankfurt's Römer. The result is not what he wanted. The SPD politician referred to the successes of his policy, including in the fight for affordable rents and free daycare centers. He will continue to be involved in social issues, also as a "simple Frankfurt citizen" and a politically minded person. When asked how he was feeling, he said: "I'm an optimistic person."
Hessian Municipal Code Information on the referendum election result
