Uwe Becker criticizes the Frankfurt SPD after the verdict against Feldmann
In the reactions to the guilty verdict against the ex-mayor, the hope that this chapter of Frankfurt’s city history is now over prevails.
Yannick Schwander reacts the quickest. The CDU city councilor, who is also on the board of his party and belongs to the wing of the Christian Democrats who are more concerned with finding balance, said a few minutes after the verdict against Peter Feldmann was announced. The guilty verdict shows “how right it was” to deselect the former mayor. “Hopefully this inglorious chapter in Frankfurt’s city history now has a real end,” says Schwander. However, this wish may not come true. Shortly after the end of the verdict, Feldmann announced in an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau that he would “most likely” appeal.
Uwe Becker is not looking for contact with the press, at least on Friday morning. The district chairman and mayor candidate of the CDU does not hang up immediately when the Frankfurter Rundschau calls him and asks for a comment. “Many allegations that have been discussed for months have been confirmed,” he said, accusing the SPD of not having drawn the consequences from Feldmann’s involvement in the AWO scandal quickly enough. The Social Democrats would have supported Feldmann for too long.
“The choice was important”
Of course there is also a reaction from Yanki Pürsün. The FDP politician with the many tasks and offices (member of the state parliament, parliamentary group leader in the Römer, mayor candidate) had pushed the clarification of the AWO scandal politically and was one of the first in the town hall to ask whether Feldmann could remain mayor. Feldmann’s guilty verdict is “the first verdict against a politician in the AWO scandal,” writes Pürsün on Twitter. For Feldmann, the judge’s verdict had to be an occasion to “reconsider his behavior and end the nice talk”.
The FDP later broadcasts a press release in the Römer. “During the trial, the former mayor played big gambles, including unbelievable statements in court. These have particularly affected his family,” it says. The Free Democrats are thus alluding to Feldmann’s statements about his relationship with his wife. Among other things, he had said that he would have liked an abortion of the child. Feldmann later regretted the statement.
The city councilor of the Greens, Julia Eberz, explains on Twitter that the sentence is appropriate. “However, November 6th was important for Frankfurt, when over 200,000 citizens cleared the way to give the office the dignity it deserves.”
And the satirical party “The Party” is also reporting. City councilor Falko Görres wrote on Twitter: “As the capital of crime, Frankfurt deserves more than a mayor who is sentenced to such a paltry fine. Where are the serious criminals?!”