Posters are hanging in many places in Frankfurt these days demanding a "restart" and on which five parties say that they will forget all colors for one cross.

They are promoting participation in a referendum in early November.

What will be voted on in Frankfurt on November 6th?

Bernhard Biener

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung

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Manfred Koehler

Head of department of the Rhein-Main editorial team of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

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Anna Sophia Lang

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The 512,000 eligible voters decide on the question: "Do you vote for the deselection of the mayor of the city of Frankfurt am Main, Mr. Peter Feldmann?"

What is Peter Feldmann (SPD) accused of?

According to the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt, Arbeiterwohlfahrt Frankfurt is said to have "supported the mayor in the election campaign before re-election in 2018 by raising donations".

In return, Feldmann is said to have tacitly agreed with those in charge of the social association at the time that he would benevolently take the interests of workers' welfare into account in his future office.

Secondly, the public prosecutor's office accuses Feldmann of having used his position to get his partner at the time and later wife a job as manager of a German-Turkish day-care center run by Arbeiterwohlfahrt, for which she was paid above the standard tariff and given a company car.

The agreements on Zübeyde Feldmann's employment were concluded "in the presence and under the influence" of Peter Feldmann, "due to his official position as Lord Mayor." He was aware that "without any objective reason" a salary in excess of the collective agreement and a company car had been granted be.

When will Feldmann stand trial?

On October 18, the trial for taking advantage begins.

Further negotiation days are scheduled for October 27th and 31st and in November.

And what about the European Cup?

His behavior around Eintracht Frankfurt's Europa League victory in May caused a stir.

At the reception the next day in the town hall, Feldmann snatched the trophy from team captain Sebastian Rode and coach Oliver Glasner.

In addition, a video was released shortly afterwards showing the mayor giving a short speech on the flight to the cup final in Seville;

there he says that the flight attendants "first put him out of action hormonally".

What does the mayor say about this?

Feldmann always argued that he had nothing to do with what was going on at the Arbeiterwohlfahrt.

This was not in his sphere of influence and also does not belong to the competence of a mayor.

He had no influence on his wife's contract or on the workers' welfare contracts with the city.

A few days after the incident, he apologized for the snatching of the trophy and his comments about the flight attendants.

How did local politicians react?

The coalition of the Greens, SPD, FDP and Volt, as well as the largest opposition party in Römer, the CDU, called on Feldmann to resign.

When he failed to do so, the city parliament initiated the voting procedure in July with more than two-thirds of the votes.

Why do citizens have to vote on November 6th?

Since Feldmann has neither resigned from his office nor accepted the deselection by the city parliament, he can only be voted out by the citizens.

Because they elected him directly in 2012 and confirmed him in 2018, his term of office normally ends in 2024.

How high are the hurdles for voting out?

The Hessian Municipal Code requires two things: that a majority in the referendum is in favor of deselection and that those who vote against it make up at least 30 percent of those entitled to vote.

That's 153,000 people in Frankfurt.

Who is eligible to vote?

Everyone who is allowed to vote in local elections.

Germans and all other EU citizens who are at least 18 years old and have had their main residence in Frankfurt for at least six weeks before the day of voting.

What happens if there are not enough votes in favor of Feldmann being voted out on November 6th?

According to the current status, he will then remain in office until 2024.

Feldmann has since withdrawn a commitment made in the summer to resign from office in January 2023.