Parteimitgliedschaften im Jahre 2022

Abstract

Following allegations that he had accepted undue advantages in his position, a referendum was held on 6 November 2022 to recall the mayor of Frankfurt, Peter Feldmann . The article first presents the legal framework of the recall election in Hesse and critically examines in particular the level of the required quorum . It is argued that the quorum has undesirable consequences for political competition and political culture . For example, the quorum changes the logic of the electoral campaign by encouraging a one-sided mobilization of the incumbent’s opponents . Based on official election data, it can be shown that participation in the referendum was indeed lower in districts where Peter Feldmann had done particularly well in the 2018 mayoral election . Finally, various proposals for a possible reform of the Hessian municipal code (Hessische Gemeindeordnung) are discussed . First of all, reforms that focus on the quorum are conceivable, such as reducing or even abolishing the quorum . But more far-reaching reforms, such as the complete abolition of the recall vote, are also being discussed .