Candidates for Bruchsal's mayorship faced a heated debate.

Revamped Article

SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP! Here we dive into the heat of Bruchsal's first public mayoral candidate debate, where a whopping 600 citizens have flocked to the Bürgerzentrum Bruchsal forum. Local councilors, municipal employees, and business reps are amongst them, eager to meet their potential new boss.

The hype surrounding local politics is no joke – just check out the recent mega-hit mayoral campaign in Ubstadt-Weier! Every presentation round there inspired great interest.

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The city's finances and services are on the minds of the Bruchsal crowd. With declining business tax revenues looming, these folks are craving clear statements from the candidates. As Heike Ruoff-Kirner, a BNN reader, put it, "I'm holding out for some real honesty and quick wit from the candidates."

Christina Zäpfel and deputy Nicole Jannarelli, our gracious hosts for the evening, put the four main contenders – Helge Viehweg, Tobias Dammert, Sven Weigt, Endercan Bolat, and Vanessa Schulz – through their paces. Questions ranged from town security to revitalizing the city center and wind power.

And let's not forget the real change we're after: To unseat the long-standing mayor Cornelia Petzold-Schick (Greens), no less than six candidates are battling it out: Helge Viehweg (SPD), Tobias Dammert (AfD); Sven Weigt (CDU), Endercan Bolat (independent); Vanessa Schulz (Die Partei) from Pfinztal.

The candidates stand tall on stage – white standing tables are their battleground. They're doing a good job hiding their butterflies as Thomas Riedinger, our readers' advocate, welcomes the 600 guests streaming in to pick the best seats since 5:30 PM.

Data Protection

Sponsoring and prioritizing the distribution of funds were topics front and center. Helge Viehweg was all about setting renovation priorities and leaving the voluntary sector untouched. Sven Weigt wants to beef up municipalities at the federal and state levels.

Endercan Bolat focuses on better integrating migrants into the workforce to alleviate financial stress. Tobias Dammert insists on a thorough budget review, with tax hikes as a last resort. Vanessa Schulz won't sell the former fire station site – to realize the Denkort Fundamente, they'll need sponsors.

Future Vision

During the lively 90-minute debate, Thomas Riedinger asked questions submitted by BNN readers. Questions ranged from reviving the gasthaus Bären, new industrial areas, greening measures in the context of climate change, to the candidates' Bruchsal asparagus preferences.

Individual interviews followed, wherein Sven Weigt expounded on his preference to tunnel under the Rothenberg for the B35 bypass. "No compromise with the city's essence," he emphasized. Is Bruchsal ready for a Turkish mayor? "Why the hell not," Endercan Bolat clarified. Tobias Dammert complained about long-winded planning procedures when asked about future flood protection for Heidelsheim. "Things gotta change," he stressed.

Helge Viehweg defended wind turbines on municipal land: "It's not a forest clearance – it's progress!" Vanessa Schulz vowed to bring grassroots democracy to the city, citing live streams of council meetings as prime examples.

The BNN Forum wrapped up after an exhilarating hour and a half, with more reports (like the BNN test election) on the horizon. Additional opportunities to see these five candidates square off at municipal presentation rounds are coming up on June 26 at 6 pm in the Bruchsal Citizens' Center, June 30 at 6 pm in the Heidelsheim Sports Hall, and July 2 at 6 pm in the Bundschuh Hall in Untergrombach. Get ready for some political heavyweight action!

Other candidates, like Helge Viehweg and Vanessa Schulz, have also presented their visions for the city's future, touching on topics such as wind power, greening measures, and grassroots democracy.
The discussions during the debate didn't limit themselves to local politics; general-news issues such as data protection, future flood protection, and the integration of migrants into the workforce were also addressed.