Clash Concerning Firewall Action: Municipal Body Presses for Disciplinary Measures against OB
In the heart of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region, the city of Dortmund is embroiled in a political controversy. The focus of the dispute is a non-binding resolution passed by the city council on February 13, 2025, titled "Declaration of the Council - We are the firewall."
The resolution, which commits the democratic members of the council to not work with parties classified as far-right or unconstitutional, has sparked a heated debate. Mayor Thomas Westphal, a member of the SPD, has faced criticism from opposition candidates, including Heiner Garbe (OB candidate) and Michael Kauch (FDP's OB candidate), who accuse him of being part of a "well-organized conspiracy" in connection with the wall decision. Garbe has even called on Westphal to withdraw his candidacy for Mayor on September 14, 2025.
The Arnsberg Regional Government, the higher authority, has taken a stance on the matter. In a letter dated June 18, they officially demanded that Mayor Westphal challenge the council's decision, citing that it violates the party privilege enshrined in the Basic Law. However, Westphal has contradicted the local oversight after his own legal review, arguing that the decision does not have any legally binding effect towards the AfD faction.
The Arnsberg Regional Government has since challenged the decision, initiating a procedure based on the North Rhine-Westphalia Local Discipline Act (LDG NRW). If the Dortmund city council refuses to rescind the resolution at its next meeting on October 9, Arnsberg has threatened to take action itself, potentially leading to escalation.
The ruling by the Administrative Court of Düsseldorf from May 2022 was used as a reference to support the illegality of the resolution. The decision is secured by a ruling of the Federal Administrative Court from 2017, stating that a city council as a whole is not obliged to treat all council members equally with regard to their political orientation.
A survey commissioned by the Ruhr Nachrichten in Dortmund found that 65 percent of Dortmund residents believe that cooperation with the AfD should be ruled out, while 33 percent see it differently. Despite the controversy, the people of Dortmund seem to mainly stand behind their mayor's decision.
The AfD, on the other hand, feels vindicated and welcomes the upcoming investigations regarding the "Declaration of the Council - We are the firewall." Meanwhile, the legal implications of the disciplinary procedure initiated by the Arnsberg Regional Government against Mayor Thomas Westphal remain unclear, as there is currently no publicly documented disciplinary procedure against him related to such a council resolution.
In the midst of this political storm, the future of Dortmund's politics and the role of its mayor remain uncertain. The resolution and the subsequent controversy have raised important questions about the balance between democratic principles and political ideologies, a debate that continues to resonate in the city and beyond.
What is the stance of the Arnsberg Regional Government on the controversy over the "Declaration of the Council - We are the firewall" in Dortmund's city council? The Arnsberg Regional Government has demanded that Mayor Thomas Westphal challenge the non-binding resolution, citing it violates the party privilege enshrined in the Basic Law. However, Westphal argues that the decision does not have any legally binding effect towards the AfD faction.
