Sexist statements, complacent appearances, an accusation of corruption: lapses ensure that Mayor Feldmann is suggested by his party, the Frankfurt SPD, to give up his office. Since he refuses, she is ready to take drastic steps.
The SPD parliamentary group in Frankfurt’s Römer is ready to initiate voting procedures against Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann if he does not resign from office of his own accord. The other parliamentary groups shared this view, said SPD parliamentary group leader Ursula Busch after a regular meeting with the other parliamentary group leaders. It is still unclear by when such a deselection procedure can be launched, because it must be well prepared. The city government is made up of the Greens, the Volt Party, the FDP and the SPD.
Feldmann had declared on Wednesday, despite calls for his resignation from his own party, that he wanted to remain in office. However, he wanted to do without representative public appointments until the end of the summer break, said the SPD politician. “I will not work less, but differently.” The Frankfurt mayor offered his party to suspend membership.
Public prosecutors filed charges against Feldmann in March on suspicion of corruption in connection with a workers’ welfare affair. The SPD politician repeatedly rejected the allegations. In addition, there was recent criticism, among other things, because of a sexist saying about flight attendants. A video had appeared in which the mayor spoke of flight attendants on the flight to the Europa League final from Eintracht Frankfurt to Seville, “who put me out of action hormonally at first”. He was also criticized for behaving smugly when welcoming the Frankfurt team after their success. Feldmann repeatedly apologized for the statements.
For a vote-out procedure, there must first be at least a two-thirds majority in the city council, then the citizens are questioned directly. If there is a majority for voting out, this must comprise at least 30 percent of those entitled to vote. For a local election, this is a high hurdle given the mostly low voter turnout.
