Party lawyer challenges criticism levied against the Bürgerpartei GL
In the upcoming local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), scheduled for September 14, 2025, the Citizens' Party GL (Bürgerpartei GL) of Bergisch Gladbach is facing a legal challenge over its nomination.
The nomination meeting for the voters' association took place in Samirae's living room, with five initial participants, but only three remained. The meeting was observed by Thomas Klein, the top candidate and mayoral candidate, who is running under the Citizens' Party GL banner.
SPD faction leader, Klaus Waldschmidt, has expressed concerns about the election procedure of the Citizens' Party GL, finding it questionable. He believes that the rejection by the election committee of the city of Bergisch Gladbach is unlikely due to the potential risk of a later election rerun if the voter association were to appeal to the administrative court.
However, the CDU, despite often having differences with the Citizens' Party GL, does not question the admission of the party. The CDU in the city council estimates that the points criticized by the SPD were not mandatory for the Citizen Party GL because they are running again.
The Citizens' Party GL is already represented in the city council, exempting them from increased requirements for first-time candidates. However, the party did not submit a charter to the election office of the city or publish it on their website, which has been a point of contention.
The district election committee will decide on Thursday about an objection of the Citizens' Party GL against a resolution of the election committee of the city of Bergisch Gladbach. The party's chairman, Frank Samirae, has submitted a statement from a lawyer to the district regarding the objection, which is supported by CDU faction leader, Michael Metten.
Under NRW municipal election laws, the Citizens' Party GL, like other non-party groups or small parties, must adhere to nomination deadlines, submit candidate lists or individual candidates who meet legal requirements, and collect any required signatures from local residents if needed to validate its candidacy. Once nominated, the party participates in the local elections along with other parties in Bergisch Gladbach, contesting council seats as per the proportional representation system used in NRW.
The laws also include mechanisms for recall of local officials, where officials can be removed via motions from the municipal council or citizens’ petitions, requiring certain signature thresholds and voter turnout during recall votes. This framework also applies to elected representatives including those from citizens' parties like the GL.
The Citizens' Party GL's nomination of candidates was conducted in an orderly manner, requiring two or three votes for election. The party will await the decision of the district election committee as it navigates the challenges surrounding its election bid in Bergisch Gladbach.
Thomas Klein, the top candidate of the Citizens' Party GL, is involved in a political dispute regarding the election procedure of his party, with SPD faction leader Klaus Waldschmidt expressing concerns about the nomination. In contrast, the CDU does not question the admission of the Citizens' Party GL in the local elections, citing that the points criticized by the SPD were not mandatory for the party as they are running again. The nomination challenge and the objection against the resolution of the election committee of the city of Bergisch Gladbach will be decided by the district election committee, which will impact the policy-and-legislation and general-news of the upcoming local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia.
