Severin Fischer: The surprising mayoral candidate for Potsdam!

Severin Fischer: The surprising mayoral candidate for Potsdam!

Severin Fischer was nominated as the SPD's official mayoral candidate for the election on September 21st in Potsdam. At a party conference in the SPD district, he received an impressive 89.3 percent of the vote, with 100 yes votes, 8 no votes and 4 abstentions counted in the vote. Fischer, a Franconian native and currently State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Enterprises, has lived in Berlin for 20 years and would like to move to Potsdam if elected. Fischer is seen as a surprise candidate for the SPD, as other potential candidates had withdrawn their ambitions.

The SPD has been the mayor of Potsdam since 1990, and his predecessor, Mike Schubert, was voted out in a referendum. Fischer is trying to fill this space and brings with him his extensive experience in city administration. He previously worked in the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs and as head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery. Fischer is determined to tackle important issues such as housing, social cohesion and a transport transition and advocates the construction of municipal and cooperative housing projects.

Challenges and criticism

Despite his nomination, Fischer faces challenges. Critics fear that he may have too little connection to Potsdam. However, Alma Kleen, co-leader of the Potsdam SPD, made it clear in a speech that Fischer was not involved in the internal disputes with the city council (SVV) and stood for reliable politics. He also received support from long-standing SPD board members, including former mayor Jann Jakobs and government spokesman Florian Engels.

Fischer emphasizes that resilience to extreme weather events and the heat transition are also central points of his agenda. He sees housing policy as one of the most pressing issues for Potsdam's citizens. In addition, the nomination of an external candidate like Fischer is a bold step by the SPD and could bring a breath of fresh air into city politics.

Competition in the mayoral race

In addition to Fischer, other parties have also nominated their candidates. The AfD has nominated Chaled-Uwe Said as its mayoral candidate, while the CDU is sending Willo Göpel into the race. Noosha Aubel is running as an independent candidate, and Jörn Karlipp and Bernd Blase are running independently.