The pressure on the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Peter Feldmann (SPD), is increasing.

On Thursday, his own party also called for him to limit his public appearances.

"In view of the situation, we think it makes sense to deal appropriately with high-profile appointments on the part of the mayor and to hold back for the time being," said the executive board of the SPD.

In addition, the following still applies: If the court opens the main proceedings, the party executive will assess the facts.

"The presumption of innocence also applies to Peter Feldmann." The mayor will comment on the allegations made against him.

His spokesman announced this for the next few days.

Mechthild Harting

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

  • Follow I follow

Rainer Schulz

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

  • Follow I follow

Greens, FDP and Volt, who form the city government together with the SPD, had previously asked Feldmann to refrain from all appearances as mayor with immediate effect.

Formally, according to the Hessian municipal code, it is not possible for him to let official business rest, but Feldmann should no longer receive guests or officially speak for the city of Frankfurt, Greens parliamentary group leader Dimitrios Bakakis demands: "We expect him to keep a low profile. And Britta Wollkopf from the Volt faction would like, in addition to "a certain reserve and humility", that Feldmann would show respect to the city, "but also to us as the city government".

The Greens, the strongest force in the Römer, still have a demand for the mayor, who was elected twice by the Frankfurt city population:

No majority for voting out

It does not appear that Feldmann will be voted out of office by the city parliament at the present time.

The urgent application submitted by the CDU parliamentary group, which the city councilors could discuss at their regular meeting next Thursday, is in danger of failing due to a lack of support.

According to the Hessian Municipal Code, the application must be supported by half of the city councillors.

In the Frankfurt case, 47 of the 93 parliamentarians would have to approve the motion so that the vote-out procedure can be initiated.

So far, only the 20 signatures of the CDU faction are available.

The Roman coalition with its 51 votes does not want to take this step at the moment.

"It's too early," says Bakakis.

Applying for the mayor to be voted out of office is “the extreme escalation level”.

But Bakakis claims for the Greens that they want to constantly reassess the situation.

Other Greens criticize the CDU motion to vote out only a "sham debate".

The hurdle for a deselection is high.

Should two-thirds of the city councilors vote in favor of voting out the mayor, the citizens would still have the last word.

Only they can remove Feldmann from the office to which they first elected him in 2012.

Formally, at least thirty percent of those entitled to vote would have to vote for a deselection.

In the mayoral runoff election in 2018, however, turnout was only 30.2 percent of the votes.