Only one couple flatly rejects the entire vote-out procedure: "That's absurd," complains the man, who describes himself as an active trade unionist, "that's wasted money." How could it be that political parties actively took action against a single person?

Peter Feldmann is a “likeable guy”.

He knows him from the event and is therefore convinced that "what is currently being done in Frankfurt is not right".

Mechthild Harting

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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On this Tuesday evening, when three members of the Junge Union Frankfurt are campaigning door-to-door as so often in recent weeks, this time in Oberrad, the trade unionist and his wife are the only ones who are taking sides with the mayor.

Désirée Vogt, Marius Hegmann and Junge Union boss Leopold Born ring at numerous doors.

Some remain locked.

"Please go vote"

From the upper wheels, which open or at least listen to the concerns of the young politicians over the intercom, no one needs the central information that Hegmann, Born and Vogt tirelessly repeat: "We would like to draw attention to the deselection this Sunday.

It's about Feldmann being voted out." Sometimes they add a "please vote".

"We have already voted by post," many call out to the activists through the system or directly at the front door.

Others add: "We have already voted him out" or "we vote him out like that", he is "unacceptable".

On one door it says: "Sure, we're going to vote the scandal mayor out of office." Some even send a friendly bye or a "thank you for your trouble" afterwards.

This resonating benevolence is something new for the three from the Junge Union.

The young CDU politicians don't know that from doorstep election campaigns.

They would be treated like representatives.

It is not uncommon for the door to close in front of your face as soon as you say “we come from the Junge Union”.

bipartisan tone

Everything seems different in this deselection campaign.

However, there is no advertising block, no matter how small, for his own party and no bad word against the SPD, of which Feldmann is a member.

The three young politicians maintain the non-partisan tone to which the parties of the city government, together with the opposition CDU, have committed themselves.

They want to fight together for a new start in Frankfurt.

And that, Vogt, Hegmann and Born are also convinced, is only possible with a new mayor.

One, says Born, "is good for Frankfurt".

At the front doors in Oberrad, a district where the CDU won the most votes in the local elections and yet Peter Feldmann received more votes than the CDU candidate in the 2018 mayoral election, there are not many arguments needed that evening.

"I've been a regular SPD voter since I've been able to vote," says a 71-year-old Oberräder.

But what Feldmann did "no one can afford to do."

The man points to the AWO affair, to the suspicion of accepting an advantage, which is why Feldmann currently has to answer in court.

"That's all known," he says, "something like that doesn't work."

"I will go there"

Gardener Peter Schecker finds even clearer words.

"You can't tolerate such a social villain in Frankfurt," he says, and adds almost snorting: "What this man has allowed himself to do!" When asked, he names Feldmann's statements in court: "Isn't he in a sham marriage?" In general, what Feldmann said about wife and child and what he does to them with it, "that's all below the belt".

A lot is now coming together at Feldmann, says Schecker, adding honestly that his party is the CDU.

“I will be the first to the polling station on Sunday at 8 a.m.,” says a 57-year-old banker who has just returned from the sport.

In 2018 he chose Feldmann.

Now the “deselected without ifs and buts”.

AWO, suspicion of corruption, "football and that with the child" speak for it.

Feldmann "doesn't even have the guts" to resign, but will stay "to the bitter end".

In the past few months, he would have wished for “more commitment, more campaigning, more posters and more appearances” from the parties in Römer, whose unity he praised in the Feldmann case.

At first, however, he also thought it might be difficult to achieve the required majority of 30 percent of those entitled to vote.

Now he is confident that the necessary 150,000 people in Frankfurt will vote yes to voting on Sunday.

"I will go," he says, "I hope that many people think so."