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Landratswahlen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: A Look at Rügen's Results
The recent Landratswahlen (local elections) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern saw significant shifts in power, particularly on the island of Rügen. Several towns and municipalities experienced close races and surprising outcomes, reshaping local political landscapes. Let's delve into some key results from across the island.
Binz: A Shift in Power
In Binz, Rügen's largest seaside resort, two voter groups dominated the elections. The Wählerinitiative Bürger für Binz (BfB) secured a significant victory, gaining five seats in the municipal council—a boost from their previous three. This group will be represented by Mario Kurowski, Christian Mehlhorn, Helge Colmsee, Mario Böttcher, and Kai Deutschmann.
- A new voter group, "Aus der Mitte," also made a strong showing, winning four seats with Manuela and Dietrich Tomschin, Grit Drahota, and Jürgen Michalski.
- BfB and "Aus der Mitte" now hold a majority and plan to address key local issues, including preventing the "sell-out" of the town and reviewing past council decisions.
- The CDU retained three seats, with Ulf Dohrmann, Heike Reetz, and Helga Holtz.
- The SPD, defying broader trends, experienced growth, welcoming new member Marvin Müller (19) alongside veterans Ralf Reinbold and Norbert Schulz.
- Siegfried Klein (AfD) also secured a seat, while Die Linke's representation was reduced to one member, Heinz Borchert.
Election turnout figures for Binz were not yet available at the time of reporting.
Mönchgut-Granitz: Close Races and New Leadership
The Mönchgut-Granitz area, encompassing Mönchgut, Göhren, Sellin, and Lancken-Granitz, saw several competitive mayoral races.
- In Göhren, Torsten Döring (SPD) won the mayoral election with 53.27% of the vote, beating Markus Pigard and Oliver Herber.
- Bürger für Göhren (BfG) emerged as the strongest political force in Göhren, securing four council seats.
- In Sellin, Reinhard Liedtke of the Selliner Wählergemeinschaft (SWG) was re-elected mayor with a commanding 71.72% of the vote.
- SWG retained the majority of seats on the Sellin council (5 out of 12).
- In Mönchgut, Detlef Besch (WG Mönchgut) won re-election as mayor with 72.92% of the vote.
- WG Mönchgut remained the dominant force in the Mönchgut council, securing seven out of ten seats.
- In Lancken-Granitz, Henny Hoffman (FWLG) secured re-election as mayor with 78.70% of the vote.
Other municipalities in the Mönchgut-Granitz area also saw clear victories for incumbent mayors and shifts in council representation, highlighting a diverse range of outcomes across the region. Turnout varied across these municipalities, ranging from 56.9% to 69.86%.
Further Results Across Rügen
Similar trends of both incumbent wins and shifts in power were seen across other municipalities on Rügen including Baabe, Zirkow, Dranske, Glowe, Wiek, Putgarten, Altenkirchen, Breege, Sagard, and Lohme. Each location showcased unique local dynamics and voter preferences resulting in a varied distribution of council seats amongst different parties and independent candidates.
The Amtsbereich Westrügen saw a mix of results, including a mayoral runoff election in Altefähr and a lottery to decide a council seat in Schaprode due to a tie. The Amtsbereich Bergen also reported results with varying levels of competition and voter turnout.
Conclusion
The Landratswahlen on Rügen demonstrate a dynamic political landscape with both continuity and change. While some incumbent mayors secured comfortable re-elections, others faced challenging races. The results underscore the importance of local issues and the diverse range of political preferences across the island. The newly elected councils will face the task of governing their municipalities based on these varied outcomes.
