The Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Peter Feldmann (SPD), is sticking to it: He does not want to leave office until January 31, 2023.

"I'm not leaving the administration in a hurry just because it's become too difficult," he said at a press conference on Friday.

He left it open how he would give up his office, whether through his own application for retirement for special reasons or by voting out the city councillors. 

Bernhard Biener

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung

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Daniel Meuren

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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In both cases, the city councilors must agree with a two-thirds majority.

If voted out, which would then have to take place in January, Feldmann wants to accept the parliamentary decision.

This would mean that the additional deselection by the citizens that would otherwise be required by law would not be necessary.

"It's not invisible ink"

In view of the distrust of the parliamentary groups as to whether he is actually going this route, the mayor showed two corresponding letters that he would deposit with a notary next week.

From his point of view, this guarantees that he will either apply for retirement in January or accept the deselection.

"Believe me, this isn't invisible ink," he joked when asked about the liability.

"This means that even the biggest skeptics can be sure that I'm serious." The decision announced on Tuesday to retire from office after all was made on the trip to Vietnam with the distance from abroad.

It is still open whether it will happen as Feldmann planned.

The parliamentary groups first want to talk to each other and then to him.

The CDU parliamentary group leader Nils Kößler then expressed skepticism.

"Such a letter from a lawyer is not irrevocable." That was just a decision by Parliament.

Even if the mayor deposits his request for retirement with the head of the city council, he can withdraw it.

FDP parliamentary group leader Yanki Pürsün therefore considers at least one further assurance from Feldmann necessary to waive the right of withdrawal.

"As of today, I don't trust him as much as I did on Tuesday," said Green Party leader Dimitrios Bakakis.

"But actually we want him to resign immediately."

"All or nothing"

Feldmann said that he would continue to work less publicly as mayor, but pointed out that he had duties and would fulfill them.

Above all, dates to commemorate National Socialist crimes remained close to his heart.   

You're mayor completely or not at all," he said, emphasizing how much he "loves the job."

He took stock for a few minutes and wrote about his socio-political successes, for example that he had helped to relieve low-income families by waiving daycare fees, free entry to public baths or the zoo.

Feldmann announced his retirement on Tuesday.

"I would like to save the city of Frankfurt an agonizing and expensive vote-out procedure - and take the opportunity to bring my official business to a proper conclusion after more than ten years.

I will hand over an orderly house,” he explained.

A trial against Feldmann begins on October 18 at the Frankfurt Regional Court.

He is accused of taking advantage.

Feldmann was first elected mayor in 2012 and was confirmed in office for a further six years in 2018.

At the press conference, Feldmann claimed that he "didn't even calculate" how he would be financially situated in the future and stressed that he was firmly convinced that he was not corrupt and guilty as the prosecution said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Rhein welcomed the announcement of the resignation of the man who once prevailed against Rhein in an interview, saying that Hessen's largest city deserved better leadership.