Judith Jörg (CSU) and Martin Heilig (Greens) should get new jobs in the town hall. Is this the beginning of a green-black coalition in the Würzburg city council?
Photo: Thomas Berberich, Angelika Cronauer
Greens and CSU have an agreement after long negotiations: The two largest groups want to elect two full-time mayors in the first meeting of the newly elected city council this Monday. Martin Heilig, who failed as a candidate for the mayor, is to become the first deputy of the mayor and “climate mayor”. City councilor Judith Jörg is to take over the department for school and sports as second deputy.
Neither partner did it easily. According to information from this editorial team, the deal was only a narrow majority among the Greens. The district board informed the members via email at the end of last week about arguments for and against full-time mayors and asked them to vote digitally. “Two thirds of the 150 members were in favor,” Heilig says of the result on request. “I am pleased with this clear support.”
“I also want to herald the change of generations.”
Mayor Adolf Bauer–
According to chairman Wolfgang Roth, the CSU parliamentary group initially favored Adolf Bauer remaining the honorary mayor. The CSU is now declaring that it proposes the deputy group leader and school policy spokeswoman Judith Jörg instead. The 44-year-old would have council experience and had “political highlights” in the city council work. According to a press release, Bauer no longer wants to compete: “I also support this concept and would like to hereby herald the change of generations.”
Heilig is certain that he can bring environmental and climate policy forward decisively – as “the first mayor of Bavaria”, as he says. The 44-year-old justified his claim to the job by moving to the city council with the most votes on March 15 and the green faction now being the strongest.
With their majority, the Greens (16 city councils) and the CSU (14) could make some progress in the new legislative period in the 50-member city council. However, both sides emphasize that the mayor agreement is not the start of a coalition like the one now being held in the Schweinfurt city council.
Photo: Patty Varasano
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“We agree on some points, in others the differences are too great,” explains CSU parliamentary group leader Roth. His green colleague Matthias Pilz says, “The formation of coalitions is not Würzburg culture”. Instead, they want to continue to look for factual questions when looking for majorities. When asked, Heilig said that in addition to the talks with the CSU, a green-left majority had been explored for the mayoral election. “But that didn’t work.”
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The two major political groups want to make their increase in power through the new full-time mayors palatable to the remaining nine parties and groups by strengthening the issues of climate and education. In addition, the integration of Heilig and Jörg in the city hall administration should provide more transparency and exchange and strengthen the position of the city council. The SPD and the Left have spoken out against this proposal.
Seven instead of five speakers so far
If the Greens and CSU vote in a public meeting on Monday, but in a secret election, as agreed, there will be seven instead of five speakers with the two full-time mayors in the future. So far, the environmental and municipal department has been headed by Wolfgang Kleiner, the school, sports and culture department by Achim Könneke. The city council has already decided that these tasks should be redistributed. At that time it was said that, as before, there should be a dedicated environmental officer. According to the CSU, the city does not cost significantly more money that the two mayors are now being converted from honorary to full-time instead of an additional new speaker.
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Wurzburg
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Manuela Göbel
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Adolf Bauer
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Mayor and Mayor
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Mayoral elections
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CSU
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Group leaders
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Judith Jörg
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Matthias Pilz
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SPD
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City councils and municipal councils
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Cities
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Environmental officers
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Wolfgang Roth
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