The mayor of Kiel, Ulf Kampf, warned of a loss of confidence in politicians’ ability to act. “Rich people, cheaters, cruel people – they get it done. And many people think: Me, who sticks to the rules and is diligent, things are no longer going well for me,” the Social Democrat politician told the German Press Agency.
“Prices, affordability of living, things have become more complicated,” Kampf told the German Press Agency. “This causes frustration.” The same goes if daycare or a train is suddenly cancelled. At the same time, regulations and administration are often too complicated.
Kampf therefore advocates a “yes-if” government: “In Germany we are great, kind, very polite and write in detail on five A4 pages why something unfortunately didn’t work, rather than writing on one page that it didn’t work, but maybe something else could have worked.”
Democracy under stress test
After two terms in office, Kampf did not seek re-election in last Sunday’s mayoral election. His replacement will be decided in a runoff election on November 30. He entered state politics as the SPD’s leading candidate for the 2027 state election.
In his own words, he could also imagine taking a break. “But I have the impression that I can’t allow myself to do that because we are experiencing a test of democracy and everyone who cares about our democracy must join in,” he told DPA.
Fighters see a “vicious circle”
The relationship between politics and society has changed markedly in recent years, Kampf said. Criticism, as well as insults and threats against volunteers and full-time politicians have increased significantly. This triggers a “vicious circle”:
“It is more frequent than ever that mayors are not reelected or are removed from office in the recall process,” Kampf said. Additionally, many politicians quit, resign, or do not seek re-election – due to their own frustration. This means that fewer qualified people want to enter the world of politics.
“If only populists and unqualified people turn up and get elected, then they will really get criticized – and rightly so,” the Social Democrat politician continued. This in turn causes frustration with politics to continue to grow and discourages more people from getting involved.
Warrior: Hate must not be normalized
Therefore, Kampf called for a “clear stance” against extremist tendencies in Germany. “It’s right-wing extremism, but there are also other forms of populism if I think about conspiracy theories,” he said. Hatred, disinformation and contempt for democracy must not be normalized.
But many politicians stopped at this point and criticized the 53-year-old. He emphasized: “Of course we ourselves must be role models in political culture and in our dealings with each other.” However, the differences between the parties should not be lost.
“If the public believes that politicians from established parties are all the same and are in cahoots because they are so friendly with each other, that is also problematic.” From Kampf’s point of view, every citizen should be able to immediately name three differences between parties or candidates in elections.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251118-930-306396/1
