Mayoral candidates in direct contact with voters: An evening at the ‘Gallo Negro’ with Wolfram Günther

Alan Tovar Prado, the owner of the Mexican restaurant ‘Gallo Negro’ in Leipzig-Plagwitz, had organised a discussion evening entitled ‘Local Politics, Global Minds Leipzig’ with Wolfram Günther, the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of Leipzig. We spoke to Alan beforehand and were curious to see how such an evening would unfold.

On Thursday, 22 October, 20 minutes before the event was due to start, there were only three people present apart from the organiser and the guest, which didn’t bode well. Even when the event started, there were only six interested people at the tables, but over the course of the next half hour, the room filled up noticeably.

It was a diverse group, with participants from Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, and from Leipzig and the surrounding area. Women and men, the self-employed and employees, young and old, with a wide variety of political backgrounds, discussed Wolfram Günther’s ideas and plans for Leipzig with him.

The FDP’s mayoral candidate, Alexander Türpe, was also present as one of the co-organisers of the discussion event. He, too, had to field questions from those present. Many topics were hotly debated, including the question of how to counter the AfD’s destructive rhetoric with a positive narrative, particularly in the area of migration policy. As expected, there was no single solution, but there were some interesting approaches.

The 90 minutes scheduled passed far too quickly; Wolfram Günther had to leave for his next appointment, but the group did not disperse just yet. After the event, we asked Wolfram Günther for a brief assessment of how the evening had gone for him.

“Over a fifth of Leipzig’s population currently has a migrant background, and that proportion is growing. These people are a vital part of our urban community, and many things simply wouldn’t function without them. That is why their perspectives and concerns are also essential for the city’s development.
I found the discussion very insightful. Ultimately, the same issues were raised that I encounter time and again. For example, administrative procedures that are too long and cumbersome. In this case, the fact that people have to wait two to three years for a consultation appointment as part of the naturalization process. Problems in finding affordable housing, with the added hurdle of having a migrant background. Otherwise, the discussion centred on the investment climate and the future of the economy against the backdrop of global developments, urban development in the face of climate change, and the city’s image. I was impressed by how concrete the interest was and how focused the discussion was on the issues surrounding the city’s positive development.”

That sums up the evening and the discussions well. Alexander Türpe replied to the question: “I’m delighted that the idea Alan and I came up with together has been so well received. An intimate setting, open-ended questions, and people around the table who live, work, start businesses and are involved in politics in Leipzig and the surrounding area. It’s fun to discuss and exchange views. Add to that a delicious drink. Perfect.”

Conclusion: It was a successful evening and a fascinating discussion format. An open discussion in a small setting, with a culture of dialogue that is often lacking; topics were debated quite controversially and neither candidate was given a free pass. We need more events like this.