The 53-year-old Uwe Becker received the most votes in the first ballot of the Frankfurt mayoral election. The CDU politician is State Secretary for Federal and European Affairs and Hessian anti-Semitism officer. The banker was treasurer of the city of Frankfurt from 2007 to 2021.
Mr. Becker, you emerged as the winner of the election with more than 34 percent of the votes and a ten-point lead over second-placed Mike Josef. Was that a decision for Uwe Becker or for the CDU candidate?
Both play a role, but it was primarily a personal decision. I also stand for positions that go beyond the CDU and build bridges to people who don’t show any affinity with the CDU.
What are you up to?
Many people approached me at the information stands and said that although they had little to do with the CDU, they saw me as someone who was passionate about Frankfurt.
The candidates of the coalition parties SPD, Greens and FDP together received around 48 percent of the votes. How do you intend to catch up?
I don’t see a deficit, I’m leading by more than ten percentage points. Since it is a personality election, many who voted for other candidates on Sunday will consider who is really striving for a fresh start in Frankfurt. People want an end to the deadlock and a fresh start in Roman. That’s what I stand for.
Where do you see stagnation?
Decisions are not made, there are massive arguments between the SPD and the Greens, for example when dealing with the Paulskirchen Prize or on the subject of anti-racism. There is almost no construction site where those involved do not argue with each other. By my nature, I am someone who brings people together, who is also reliable in his agreements. That makes all the difference in the runoff.
Doesn’t a fifth political color complicate the work of the four-party city government?
In my case the opposite is true. In all coalitions, I was the one who brought the participants together and brought together very different points of view – always with the aim of leading and making decisions. What is needed now is not someone who, like Mike Josef, simply changes chairs within the coalition and continues the argument, but someone who comes from outside and brings the city forward.
Are you hoping for a recommendation from the eliminated candidates?
That’s not an issue for me. I address the voters of the other candidates without having to make recommendations. Of course I’m happy about everyone who says: Uwe Becker is now the right man at the right time in the right place. But I don’t make my behavior dependent on that in the next few weeks.
In the 2012 mayoral election, the CDU candidate Boris Rhein was also ahead after the first round, but lost the runoff against Peter Feldmann. What do you want to do differently?
Boris Rhein and I are different people. It was also a different time when it came to parties. I stand for many years in which I led coalitions across party lines, helped shape black-green in Frankfurt, and also had a good working relationship with the SPD and Mike Josef. I believe that I am valued in my binding and connecting way. Above all, I am also someone who stands for social cohesion. That’s why I can also reach people who maybe eleven years ago looked even more closely at the CDU. I see myself as someone who builds bridges to different cultures, religions and nations. That’s how people know me.
Which topics will you focus on in the next three weeks up to the run-off election?
I want to advance Frankfurt in all areas. It is still important to me to ensure safety and cleanliness in the station district. I will also make it clear that we need to do more on housing. And of course I also stand for sustainability and climate protection. For example, I am interested in photovoltaics on the roofs and the use of geothermal energy. I had already put these topics in the foreground in the past few weeks. The fact that climate protection is important to me is also shown by the fact that I support the concerns of the climate union in the CDU. As city treasurer, I also pushed through the construction of the new Klinikum Höchst in energy-saving passive house standard together with the health department heads of the Green Party – against the resistance of the SPD.
During the election campaign, however, you always made it clear that you understand the concerns of motorists. Are you therefore eligible for supporters of the Greens?
With a mobility policy for everyone, you are also eligible for everyone. I have always made it clear that I want to expand local public transport and design sensible cycle paths. But mobility must also remain possible for people who depend on cars. Here, too, I stand for measure and mean. In the end, that is what constitutes good city politics.
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