2024-09-30 13:57:24
Sylt will soon have a new mayor. The old office holder was voted out.
Nikolas Häckel, the independent mayor of Sylt, has been voted out. In a vote, 4,342 citizens spoke out against him, while only 860 voted for him to remain in office. The decision came after a deselection process that local politicians initiated on July 18th.
Häckel was not surprised by his deselection and explained: “I’m relaxed: If I had actually won today – against all the people who were against me here – it wouldn’t have been any fun.” During election evening he appeared in person at the town hall with a red fabric rose in the buttonhole of his dark blue corduroy suit. Local politicians accuse him of, among other things, years of budget problems and poor communication.
The deputy mayor Carsten Kerkamm (CDU) is currently taking over Häckel’s duties. Häckel has been on sick leave with burnout syndrome since February and was unable to carry out his official duties for several weeks in the summer of 2023. Nikolas Häckel, a native of Sylt, has managed the administration of the North Sea island since 2015 and wanted to return after recovering from illness.
The municipal voting committee will officially determine the result on October 2nd. If this is confirmed, Häckel will enter temporary retirement. According to the municipal regulations, a new election will take place no later than six months after the vote results, which should realistically be in the first quarter of 2025.