The district of bamberg after the european elections: the black shimmers greenly

66.21 percent for the CSU! The party was happy to transfer the result from the stronghold of wattendorf to the entire district. But even with 45.26 percent, the black party remains by far the strongest force. However, the CSU lost 4.8 percent in the 2014 european elections and as much as seven percent in the 2009 elections. But what party members need to talk about most is the new second force in the district: the greens.

CSU and the green issues

"Young is grun, the CSU is old: that’s what we don’t want!", holger dremel, the CSU deputy for bamberg-land in the maximilianeum, warns with a view to the electoral spectrum. Although he is very satisfied with the result of his CSU. But it is important to communicate more strongly that the state government is already doing a great deal on issues such as climate protection. "It’s important to see that climate policy plays a strong role, especially among young people", says wolfgang mohrlein, CSU faction spokesman in the district council. This is where the CSU has to start.

Being authentic

The greens are relaxed about it. "The people choose the original, says andreas losche, deputy group chairman in the district council. "We have always been a black county and are drilling thick boards. But the CSU’s absolute majority is already broken." The party performed strongest in stegaurach – with 17.62 percent. "We’ve had a council list here since 1990 and we’re doing a good job", reports second mayor bernd fricke. He also sees the result of his green party as a "mandate to make good policies for more climate protection and sustainability". The result gives motivation for the municipal election. "90 percent of young voters voted pro-european, which gives me hope", says losche. The greens had scored points with young people because they were the only party that authentically represented the issue of climate protection. Authenticity is enormously important, says losche. This could also be seen in the CSU. "Running after the afd won’t do any good." All democratic parties are called upon to stand together here.

Afd wins elections

For the afd, florian kohler, a member of the district parliament, is confident that his party has gained 4.5 percent compared to the last european elections and is on a "solid foundation" stand. "We are consolidating at a level that is clearly above other medium-sized parties and are increasingly closing in on the SPD. In general, there is no net gain for the left – that’s why I don’t understand the hype about the greens." If you consider that the afd has made a big gain compared to 2014, then i am personally satisfied with the result and look forward to the local elections."

Comrades in the valley of the tears

The mood among the party members is once again in the doldrums, along with the election results. In the 2014 european elections, the SPD had achieved 16.65 percent – now the result has been cut in half. The social democrats won the most votes in gerach: 12.82 percent, but countywide they even slipped behind the afd to fourth place.

Why? "I don’t think there is one reason, but many.", SPD member of the bundestag andreas schwarz responds. It is time to answer basic questions without taboos, concerning programmatic, expressions and personnel. Carsten joneitis sees it similarly. "The SPD is in the middle between the right and the left and must reorient itself and find a new direction, says the mayor of oberhaid, where the party achieved the second-best result in the district (12.5 percent). Climate policy is the issue of the day – and the natural brand core of the greens. "The SPD’s core brand is everything social, from education policy to pensions", explains schwarz.

Free voters score points

The core of the FDP’s brand is freedom – it achieved its best result in the district in altendorf with 5.15 percent. The free voters found the most supporters in stegaurach (9 percent). Curious: as many as 1265 voters in the district voted for "the party".

Lessons from the election

District administrator johann kalb is "more than satisfied" with the results of the european elections. It is also the result of good development and constructive policies by all parties and electoral groups represented in the district council. Clear winner of the european elections is democracy in the opinion of the county chief executive. "On sunday, 50 percent more people cast their votes than five years ago." Voter turnout increased from 40 to 60 percent. At 70.75 percent, it was highest in konigsfeld.

"Citizens have shown that europe is important to them. They have recognized that they have to position themselves", says kalb. Even though the focus of this election was on europe, there are also lessons to be learned for the district. "People expect politicians to offer answers to the pressing questions of our time." Of course, climate and environmental protection are important, but so are people’s needs for security and jobs, affordable housing, efficient public transportation, and a functioning education and health system.

Few problems

According to the district administration, the election went smoothly: at a polling station in stegaurach, a voter complained that the ballot box was not sealed. "However, this is not prescribed. The ballot box must be sealable but not sealed. That was guaranteed", declares the authority. Four ballots had to be declared invalid in the entire county. "This is required, for example, if the eligible voter has applied for a ballot, has not yet exercised his right to vote, and has died in the meantime."

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