Schwetzingen. At the end of her speech, Rebecca Ziegler addressed the approximately 400 citizens with “a few words on my own behalf”. “Since my arrival in Schwetzingen, my election campaign has been sabotaged,” said the 45-year-old lawyer on Monday at the candidate presentation. She was insulted and threatened.
Then she renewed her accusations against the Schwetzinger Zeitung and the city. Reports contained false statements from her and the outgoing mayor had “probably forbidden” city employees from granting her access to public facilities. They wanted to cut her off from information, she said in the speech, which can be viewed on the city’s YouTube page.
“We can no longer guarantee an orderly event”
Ziegler had made similar statements in a Facebook post a few days earlier, which was not without consequences. She criticized the guidelines for the candidate presentation in the Schwetzinger Zeitung, which did not allow an open question round, but wanted to collect written questions from citizens and group them by topic.
In the post, Ziegler called on visitors to ask the questions anyway. Editor-in-chief Jürgen Gruler then canceled the candidate forum: “After Rebecca Ziegler’s post on Facebook, we can no longer guarantee an orderly event,” he explained in a report in the newspaper. After the newspaper withdrew, the city organized the candidate presentation itself. Both candidates had 15 minutes to speak. They were able to answer guests’ questions at their respective campaign stands.
Mayor René Pöltl comments via Facebook
Gruler has moderated many forums for mayoral elections in the region – without a question and answer session for citizens, he explains. He wanted to guarantee an efficient process and also give people who could not be there in person a chance to have their say. He firmly rejects Ziegler’s accusation that the editorial team is not neutral. He offered to name questionable passages of text, then they would have been corrected if necessary, but she did not do that.
René Pöltl commented on the allegations against him on Facebook. The claim that he had “forbidden the administration employees from speaking to THEM” was completely unfounded and false. On June 20, around three months before the election date, he had informed the employees that the requirement of neutrality towards all candidates had to be strictly observed. Ziegler had made the accusation publicly on June 24 after an employee had pointed out the ban on neutrality to her during a visit to a city office, Pöltl said when asked. He had also responded publicly then.
“At the same time, I had pointed out to Dr. Ziegler that she could contact me directly with questions at any time – like all other candidates – but she never did. She also never sought contact with me at any other time,” explains the mayor.
Ziegler criticized her competitor in her speech
Ziegler, who holds a doctorate in law, comes from Mauer (Rhein-Neckar district). She was a judge at the social court and then worked in tax offices. From 2018 onwards, she was a lawyer with her own law firm, which she wound up. She did not want to comment further on the allegations to the Staatsanzeiger.
On Monday, Ziegler did not hold back with criticism of her competitor Matthias Steffan (both independent), who has been mayor of the city of around 21,000 inhabitants since 2016. He has integrated himself into the existing system, “which is why he is in danger of suffocating under the expectations of his many supporters,” she said.
Steffan with five topics “that are based on what is feasible”
Steffan, a native of Speyer, did not address the attacks in his speech. He can rely on broad support in the local council. Five of six factions and groups are in his favor: the Greens, CDU, FDP and the Free Voters as the strongest force, as well as the individual city councilor from “Inclusive and Social for Schwetzingen” support him. The SPD, which has four of the 26 seats on the council, abstained.
The graduate of the University of Public Administration in Kehl with an additional master’s degree has five topics “that are based on what is feasible”: one of them is sustainable budget policy, whereby the city currently has a high level of reserves and the lowest level of debt of all the large district towns in the Rhein-Neckar district, as he emphasized on Monday. Trade tax revenues have increased from five to 13.5 million euros in 16 years.
Former barracks to become business park
In addition, Steffan wants to expand offers for families and seniors, advocate for the economy and housing, and promote clubs and inclusion. The 48-year-old also wants to push for climate and environmental protection.
Ziegler wants to create living space and attract new companies. Climate protection is important to her and she wants to improve the city center, strengthen retail and combat vacancy. She also emphasizes the issues of safety and cleanliness. Both candidates are pinning their hopes on the development of the Tompkins Barracks into a business park.
Gabriele Zull competes alone in Fellbach
In Fellbach, incumbent Gabriele Zull is the only candidate for mayor on September 15. The 57-year-old administrative lawyer is promoting the further development of the town in the Rems-Murr district, for example in terms of heat planning, urban development or schools or daycare centers. Zull is not doing much campaigning due to her husband’s illness. The non-partisan mayor is supported by the local CDU and the Free Voters.
