Gartz (Oder) – Within the night he sits in on a dialogue group Caren Miosga in entrance of an viewers of hundreds of thousands, the subsequent morning he congratulates a girl from Gartz on her seventy fifth birthday, and shortly afterwards there’s one other press occasion. Luca Piwodda, at 26 one of many youngest mayors in Germany, is a sought-after interviewee as a result of he appears to succeed on a small scale the place politics typically fails: he will get individuals concerned, creates group and depends on cooperation as an alternative of demarcation.
The small city of Gartz within the excessive north-east of Brandenburg, which now has round 2,300 inhabitants, appeared for a very long time to be a spot in decline: migration, hardly any retailers and eating places, uncared for inexperienced areas, vacancies, little cultural life. Even the historic city corridor has not too long ago change into extra of a logo of standstill: drafty and in want of renovation.
Residents change their metropolis
The image has now modified considerably. Volunteers keep inexperienced areas, plant beds, and restore benches. Beforehand overgrown playgrounds and a BMX racing monitor are accessible once more. The cultural alliance, co-founded by Piwodda, organizes concert events, readings, quiz evenings and even opera performances. The membership invitations you to a espresso klatch as soon as per week. There are kids’s discos and picnics for youthful residents in and across the city corridor. The city corridor can also be open to you as a gathering level. The primary Ballermann celebration can also be deliberate for the summer time.
“It actually creates a really sturdy feeling of togetherness. A resident not too long ago stated to me that it is a fantastic feeling to be a Gartzer in the meanwhile,” says Pastor Hilmar Warnkross, who’s buddies with Piwodda. Even the church pews are filling up once more. Within the center: Luca Piwodda. For him, the church companies are an necessary time for reflection.
Warnkross describes the connection between the 2 as a “assume tank”, a type of assume tank. For him, Piwodda’s success is not any coincidence: his “magic bullet” is the flexibility to work integratively. Piwodda avoids ideological trench warfare and focuses on working with everybody who desires to contribute to options.
This precept additionally shapes his political strategy. In Piwodda’s workplace there’s a copy of “Stern” with him on the quilt: “The AfD Besiegers”. Piwodda would not assume a lot of it. He did not compete AfD to defeat, however to create one thing concrete for the individuals of Gartz, he says. As well as, his solely opponent was Evelin Wenzel (Left).
Pragmatism as an alternative of celebration disputes
“I need celebration politics to remain exterior the city corridor door,” stated the 26-year-old, who co-founded the Free Parliamentary Alliance (FPA) celebration as a pupil and now sits on the federal government board of the Get together of Progress. He calls his idea the “Gartzer Approach”: “That everybody will get concerned collectively, no matter celebration affiliation or household disputes.” There are literally no factions within the metropolis council; choices must be based mostly on concepts: “One of the best concept prevails.” Gartz metropolis politics had beforehand been divided. “There have been completely different camps, the political tradition was poisoned, we couldn’t proceed like that,” says Piwodda.
Particularly in a metropolis like Gartz, his strategy comes up in opposition to actual political circumstances. Within the district elections in April, the AfD candidate achieved virtually 60 %. The celebration is the strongest drive within the metropolis council with two out of ten seats. Piwodda believes {that a} clear demarcation, as is finished in federal politics, is troublesome to implement within the native context. You possibly can’t exclude each second voter. In truth, the cooperation on website appears to work pragmatically. AfD consultant Holger Miethling additionally says: “We wish to make a distinction for the area and never put on ourselves down with celebration disputes.”
Integrative strategy as a recipe for achievement
For Warnkross, that is precisely the essential level: Piwodda’s potential to convey individuals collectively. “He might be completely satisfied at a celebration with 90-year-olds, however he can even celebration with younger individuals,” he says. This mobility is central. “Mainly, he’s the type of one who creates the assumption that one thing will occur sooner or later.”
“We attain individuals who would in all probability by no means have change into democratic or voluntary energetic. We convey these individuals again by means of self-efficacy expertise,” says Piwodda. At a time when many individuals really feel deserted by the state and never addressed by the events, we present: “You will get concerned right here and there in concrete phrases. That is why we based three golf equipment final yr: choir, darts membership and city corridor help membership,” says Piwodda.
The opposite view: doubt and realism
However not everybody absolutely shares the optimistic view. Evelin Wenzel (Left) says: “You continue to need to hold a cool head and stay crucial,” she says. Native politics has slim limits: “Many issues actually take time,” and monetary leeway is changing into more and more restricted. Progress is feasible – however often solely piecemeal.
And she or he emphasizes: “Opposition shouldn’t be dangerous. We wish to have a democracy.” Piwodda feedback on such objections as follows: “Everybody brings in what they need and we don’t oppress anybody, everyone seems to be allowed to precise their opinion.”
However, Wenzel acknowledges the brand new dynamic: Piwodda is attracting lots of people, and there’s a optimistic ambiance within the metropolis. “You possibly can see that one thing has modified,” she says. Initiatives just like the Cultural Alliance convey collectively individuals who had been beforehand remoted. «It is not simply concerning the matter. It’s additionally about social contacts.” A part of the change depends closely on volunteerism, she emphasizes.
Forms because the “closing enemy”
Piwodda retains reaching its limits. “Forms is actually my closing opponent,” he says. Procedures take money and time is tight. And but he sticks to his tempo. His priorities are clear: citizen participation, tourism and renewable vitality. The Oder promenade is to be transformed right into a pedestrian zone and the marina is to be upgraded, a digital metropolis tour is deliberate, and the primary tour boats from Stettin are scheduled to dock in the summertime. Wind generators are to be inbuilt one district, and photovoltaic methods are subsequent in line.
Nevertheless, the most important financial growth and the settlement of corporations, equivalent to these straight behind the Polish border, will in all probability nonetheless be a very long time coming in Gartz. “A business space has been within the improvement plan for 20 years,” says Piwodda. The financial circumstances throughout the border are merely extra enticing than in Germany, says Hilmar Warnkross. In Poland you may’t assist however be amazed, he says, referring to the various new settlements there. The overall circumstances are a difficulty, however this needs to be solved on the federal degree.
However, the proximity to Poland can also be a possibility for Gartz, says Piwodda. «With out Polish immigration, Gartz wouldn’t have such future as we’re seeing proper now. Due to course we now have Polish youngsters within the Gartzer daycare middle and elementary college,” stated the mayor. A snack bar, a café and a flower store are run by Polish ladies. “The Poles come right here and are actively concerned in financial life. “It’s a complete enrichment,” says Piwodda. In accordance with the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Workplace, 308 of Gartzer’s residents are non-German – round 13 %.
Piwodda, founding father of a communications company, often talks about what he does. Each Sunday he publishes a weekly report on social media and tells what was occurring. “For me that is one thing like a Gartzer Tagesschau,” he says. Critics accuse him of self-promotion. For him, transparency is a way in opposition to disillusionment with politics.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:260517-930-89497/1