CDU's Torsten Burmester Elected Mayor of Cologne
Torsten Burmester, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has been elected as the new mayor of Cologne following the recent municipal elections. He secured victory in the runoff election held on September 28, 2025, against Berivan Aymaz.
The elections saw significant shifts in power across North Rhine-Westphalia. The CDU, led by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ousted incumbent Green mayors in Bonn and Aachen, and will govern in cities like Bielefeld, Leverkusen, and Solingen moving forward. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) celebrated its greatest success in winning the mayoral post in Cologne, while retaining control of major cities such as Düsseldorf and Essen.
Merz emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Union and SPD to maintain a stable political center. Sarah Philipp, the SPD's state chairwoman, acknowledged the loss of the mayor's office in Dortmund and the need for local address. Merz appealed to the SPD not to draw incorrect conclusions from the partly disappointing election results, such as in Dortmund where the CDU won the mayoral post. Hendrik Wüst, NRW Minister President and CDU state chairman, attributed the election successes to a 'team effort' and the united presentation of the Union.
The elections also saw the AfD fail to elect a mayoral candidate in any of the major cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. The CDU emerged as the number one municipal party in North Rhine-Westphalia, winning more than 6,800 seats in councils and district assemblies, while the SPD came close to 4,000. Despite the SPD's 'painful defeat' in Dortmund, they achieved successes in other Ruhr area cities like Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen. Merz described the Christian Democrats' successes in the local elections as a task for the federal government.
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