There are many indications that the city of Frankfurt is about to launch a vote-out procedure against Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann.

It is possible that the Roman coalition, to which Feldmann's own SPD party also belongs, will make a corresponding application at the next meeting of the city council on June 9th.

Since Feldmann is directly elected, the citizens would have to vote him out of office.

According to the Hessian Municipal Code, this would be the case if there was a majority of the valid votes, provided that this majority corresponded to at least 30 percent of those entitled to vote.

Rainer Schulz

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Matthew Trautsch

Coordination report Rhein-Main.

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The coalition of the Greens, SPD, FDP and Volt is still discussing whether a voting procedure would have a chance of success.

Among other things, it is feared that not enough citizens could take part.

In the 2018 mayoral election, turnout in the runoff was 30.2 percent.

The costs of voting out are estimated at 1.5 million euros, said the Volt faction.

Feldmann, whose term of office ends regularly in 2024, could not only save the citizens a lot of organizational effort but also these costs with a voluntary withdrawal.

Early retirement would be significantly cheaper, but the 63-year-old would have to apply for it himself.

He would then only have to reckon with small deductions on his pension.

Another option would be to combine the deselection with the Hessian state elections.

That would save costs and increase voter turnout.

However, the state elections will not take place until autumn 2023 – nobody in the Römer wants to imagine a stalemate until then.

lost touch with reality

Feldmann is under a lot of pressure because of a corruption charge by the public prosecutor in the AWO affair, a self-centered and embarrassing appearance at the European Cup reception of Eintracht and because of a sexist statement about flight attendants;

even his own party is demanding immediate resignation.

On Wednesday, however, he announced that he wanted to remain in office.

In a short statement, which he read outside his office and on which no questions were allowed, he admitted that he had made mistakes and that he was right to be criticized.

He will therefore “almost completely” do without representative appointments in Paulskirche and Kaisersaal until the end of the summer break.

But he wants to continue to devote himself to the "big social issues" that are close to his heart.

"I will not work less, but differently."

Reactions to the statement were critical, including those from his own party.

The Frankfurt SPD leadership suggested that he leave the party.

"If Peter Feldmann wants to do something for the SPD, then he has to leave the party," said Frankfurt SPD deputy chairman Kolja Müller.

From the point of view of party chairman Mike Josef, Feldmann has lost touch with reality.

“The well-being of the city must always be the guideline for political action.

This applies in particular to the mayor.

He proved again today that he is only concerned with his person.” The citizens have a right to the mayor taking care of their concerns and not just his.

“The city cannot be run like this.

The Lord Mayor is in an inner struggle with himself.”

In a “letter from the SPD party base”, numerous local club chairmen also appealed to Feldmann to resign immediately.

"Your behavior in the last few days, but also your handling of the allegations made, show us that you obviously did not understand the seriousness of the allegations and the scope of the situation in which you find yourself.

With this behavior you are not only causing immense damage to yourself, but also to the SPD.”

The coalition partners in Römer and the opposition CDU had previously called for Feldmann's resignation.

"The investigations against him in the course of the AWO scandal and his handling of the allegations made against him as well as his misconduct in the last few days have made it more than clear that Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann is obviously not able to exercise his office," shared the Greens parliamentary group leaders Tina Zapf-Rodríguez and Dimitrios Bakakis.

If he does not resign of his own free will, the deselection will be initiated.

The FDP made a similar statement.

“For almost three years, Feldmann has stood in the way of himself and the city.

Frankfurt's reputation has suffered enormously as a result of his misconduct," said parliamentary group leader Yanki Pürsün.

The FDP is ready to be voted out.

Feldmann does not understand what is expected of him.

"His word can no longer be relied on - as can be seen from his broken promise to hold back in public appearances," said Pürsün.

After three years of state of emergency around the mayor in the AWO scandal, there will be no objective working atmosphere in the Römer in the future either.

The CDU parliamentary group leader Nils Kößler sees the "unapologetic appearance" on Wednesday as confirmation that the mayor is not suitable for his office.

"He lives in his own world." Feldmann does not care about the people in Frankfurt and apparently also not about the relationship with his own party.