Cheeky and bold often get ahead in life, including in politics.
Frankfurt's head of the scandal has been following this motto of Felix Krull for several years.
No other local politician in Germany sticks to his chair as tightly as Peter Feldmann, no matter what.
Neither the allegations of nepotism in the AWO corruption affair, a subsequent charge on suspicion of accepting an advantage, nor calls for his resignation, even from his own SPD party, could shake Feldmann's ego.
The mayor, who was directly elected twice, albeit with a very low turnout, apparently sees himself as untouchable because he was anchored in the Romans for twelve years by the will of the people.
Even the humiliating deselection by the city council with the votes of the Social Democrats did not let Feldmann immediately lay down the chain of office.
But anyone who thought that Feldmann had gambled away the rest of his political decency with his retirement, which was then postponed to January 2023, will be taught a lesson.
If the referendum fails at the beginning of November for his deselection due to missing the quorum, Feldmann wants to continue until the regular end of his electoral term in 2024.
For Frankfurt, which urgently needs political leadership not only because of the unbelievable conditions in the station district, that would be a disaster.