In the power poker that has been going on for months about the filling of specialist mayor posts in Dresden, there is a proposed solution.

In the future there should only be six instead of seven of these so-called deputy positions, Gunda Röstel and Thomas de Maizière explained on Tuesday in Dresden.

Stephen Locke

Correspondent for Saxony and Thuringia based in Dresden.

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The former Green Party politician and the former federal minister were asked four weeks ago by Dresden's Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) and the city council factions to mediate in a dispute that had been smoldering since last summer about the layout of the business areas and the occupation of the city leadership.

Previously, the election of several specialist mayors had failed several times, so that five of the seven posts have been vacant for months.

The mayor and city council factions had therefore made public accusations against each other.

Fewer deputies in the future

"It was clear to everyone involved that for reasons of the ability to act and the reputation of the state capital Dresden, a result is extremely urgent," says the recommendation of the two moderators.

"However, this required the abandonment of previous positions for the sake of an overall solution."

So far, a solution had failed primarily because everyone involved insisted on their positions.

In the future, the Lord Mayor is to take over an additional business area, in this case finance, which is quite common nationwide.

According to the moderators, even large companies can manage with five to six board members.

"Following the public debates, the number of six deputies also means a visible sign of the willingness to reach agreement on the part of all those involved and of frugality," write Röstel and de Maizière.

In addition, "a balanced composition according to the election results" can best be justified with six deputies.

This would mean that the Greens, CDU and Left would again be represented at the top of the city, who together have a narrow majority in the city council, while the SPD would lose its mayor.

Their representatives immediately protested.

The proposal makes "stunned," said the SPD parliamentary group leader.

Mayor Hilbert, on the other hand, welcomed the proposal as a "compromise that tries to reflect the different interests".

It is now important that there is also a majority for the proposal in the city council.

This is of course notoriously divided.

Nevertheless, the moderators appealed to the city councilors to act responsibly.

"We are not available for a second round of moderation," said de Maizière.