Candidates Running in the Potsdam City Council Election Exclude Green Party Representation
In the upcoming mayoral election in Potsdam, scheduled for September 21, 2023, an unexpected contender has emerged as a frontrunner: Noosha Aubel, an independent candidate supported by the Potsdam Greens.
Aubel, a respected social and administrative expert, is not affiliated with any political party. However, her promise of equal opportunities, affordable housing, and livable, ecological urban spaces has resonated with the Greens, leading to her endorsement. The Greens will not field their own candidate in the election.
Aubel's support extends beyond the Greens. She is also backed by the left-wing faction "Die Andere" and the Volt party. In the last municipal election, together, Aubel and her supporting parties received 26.6 percent of the votes.
Meanwhile, the ruling SPD, which has governed Potsdam since 1990, finds itself in a precarious position. The unsuccessful former federal minister of transport, Klara Geywitz (SPD), and key figures such as Culture Minister Manja Schüle and Economic Chief Daniel Keller have declined to run for mayor, choosing instead to stay in the state government.
The absence of an SPD candidate leaves a power vacuum in the town hall, a situation that the Left party, currently leading in the polls, is looking to capitalise on. However, the Left party is still searching for a mayoral candidate after several rejections.
The SPD has nominated Berlin's state secretary for economics, Severin Fischer (41, SPD), as their candidate. However, Fischer is relatively unknown in Potsdam, a fact that could potentially disadvantage the SPD in the election.
On the other hand, Aubel, who was ousted from the Potsdam town hall in 2023, has managed to rebound and secure the nomination as the independent candidate. Her confirmation as such was unanimous, with few abstentions, by the Potsdam Greens.
The Greens' strategy for Aubel is to advance to the runoff in the September mayoral election. If successful, Aubel could potentially shake up the political landscape of Potsdam and bring about a new era of governance.
[1] Source: [Link to the news article confirming Noosha Aubel as the non-party mayoral candidate for Potsdam] [2] Source: [Link to the news article detailing the unanimous endorsement of Noosha Aubel by the Potsdam Greens]
- The Greens have endorsed Noosha Aubel, an independent candidate, as the non-party candidate for the Potsdam mayoral election, with her focus on equal opportunities, affordable housing, and livable, ecological urban spaces resonating with them.
- In the upcoming mayoral election, policy-and-legislation debates and general-news coverage will likely focus on Aubel's policies and her potential to shake up Potsdam's political landscape.
