Mayor Badenschier resigns – who is his successor?

Mayor Badenschier resigns – who is his successor?

There is currently a lot of movement in political events in Schwerin. Mayor Rico Badenschier from the SPD recently congratulated the first graders of the Heinrich Heine School, who did excellently in the “First 100 Days of School Trips” competition. The managing director of the state traffic police, Andrea Leirich, emphasized the importance of the mayor's presence for safety on the way to school. Badenschier sees it as important to reduce the number of parent taxis and to educate children to become road users at an early age, which benefits the family living environment. These activities that accompany school time usually last around 45 minutes, which greatly promotes a direct connection between politics and education, according to the Ostsee-Zeitung.

But while Badenschier is actively integrated into the city's school life, his political career is about to end. He will step down from his post as mayor at the end of 2023 because in his office he often encountered difficulties with majorities in the city council. “Targeted decisions, like the one about the cycle bridge between Dwang and Krösnitz, often had to be made narrowly,” says Badenschier. The dismissal from office will take effect on January 1, 2026, and Badenschier will return to his old job as a neuroradiologist.

The election date and the next steps

The official date for the new mayoral election has been set for April 12, 2026. The city council of Schwerin decided unanimously on this. So far, four personalities have already reported interest in succeeding Badenschier: Heiko Steinmüller, Stefan Ehlers, Petra Federau and Mandy Pfeifer. It will be interesting to see who else might join by the deadline on January 27, 2026.

• Geplante Kandidaten:
• Heiko Steinmüller (parteilos)
• Stefan Ehlers (CDU)
• Petra Federau
• Mandy Pfeifer

Northern Courier also reported that the AfD wants to nominate its own candidate, while Leif-Erik Holm is not running for re-election. The alliance group led by Sahra Wagenknecht is also planning to send its own candidate into the race. If a majority is not achieved in the first round, a runoff election will follow on April 26, 2026.

Important aspects of local elections

The upcoming elections are not only important for Schwerin, but also reflect the structure of local elections in Germany. Every few years they elect representatives from the municipalities and cities, including the mayors. According to the Federal Agency for Civic Education, which provides more background here ( bpb ), these elections are dominated by local issues and often have lower voter interest than in larger elections. Nevertheless, local elections are also highly relevant for citizens because they directly intervene in daily life and set the course for important infrastructural and social projects.

It remains to be seen whether the next mayor will be able to form more stable majorities. It is clear that the coming months will be politically exciting in Schwerin. Badenschier, who has been in office since November 1, 2016, will be able to use the title “retired mayor” after his dismissal. decorate. But before that, the city will immerse itself in the intense balance of power of an election campaign, in which everyone involved will do their best to achieve the best possible results for its citizens. There's still a lot coming up!