flags + Fahnen + steaguri

Veni, vidi, defui
How I lost but made a point

I wanted a colourful and lively campaign. A campaign that included people, not excluded them. But I had to learn that Freudenbergers still have a great suspicion of anything new and visionary. They want things small, simple and familiar.

I ran for mayor in 2009. From the very start I knew that I couldn't compete with the amount of money it takes to run an election but I was convinced that talents rather than patronage should be the base of politics.

The job of a mayor is to communicate a vision for the years ahead. But candidates of the established parties keep selling illusions. They hire photographers to picture them with extra white teeth. Shiny people, fit an famous. But then, once in office, they only use their sparkling teeth to chew people's money.

To my surprise, voters want them to be exactly like that. The political class has become boring, unfair and fickle because of our low expectations.


Why I simply had to fail
There was a lesson to learn

My ideas have been rather idealistic and liberal. I strongly believe in responsibility and creativity. We all have our talents and each of us can contribute to the community's common good.

This calls for a great deal of honesty and openness on the part of the mayor and the town council, but it also requires some civic pride and willingness to become involved on the part of the population.

I learned that Freudenbergers aren't much interested in liberal ideas and getting involved. They expect the mayor and the members of the town council to be political witch doctors that can cure all financial and social problems by magic.

Consequently they voted for Eckhard Günther, a man whose political credo is that there is a silver lining to every cloud - and there are many clouds here.

I lost because Eckhard Günther is the natural representative of the Freudenberg townsfolk.