After winning his direct mandate for the Free Voters, Grimma Mayor Matthias Berger has not yet decided whether he will take a seat in the Saxon state parliament. "Our aim was to become a member of the state parliament as a parliamentary group," the 56-year-old told the German Press Agency. However, he was delighted with his election result. It was proof that his local political work was being noticed by the people. Now it remained to be seen how the constellation would develop.
Berger had already doubted before the election whether working as a lone campaigner for the Free Voters in the state parliament would make sense. On Sunday, he won the direct mandate in the Leipzig Land 3 constituency with 36.6 percent of the vote, clearly outperforming AfD candidate Jörg Dornau (30.7 percent), among others.
Berger has been mayor of Grimma since 2008 and is very popular. According to Berger, the goal of the Free Voters is conservative, middle-class politics. The Free Voters missed out on a place in the state parliament in the election with 2.3 percent. Only Berger would have a seat through the direct mandate. If he does not accept his mandate, a candidate from the state list of the Free Voters could move up in accordance with Saxony's electoral law.
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