Potsdam's new mayor Noosha Aubel is struggling with her first challenges!

Potsdam's new mayor Noosha Aubel is struggling with her first challenges!

The new mayor of Potsdam, Noosha Aubel, took office a month ago and is now experiencing a turbulent start. In her first four weeks she faced several challenges. A highlight was the first city council meeting and the opening of the Christmas market. But the bottom line is that the independent politician has to struggle with some difficulties, such as the daily mirror reported.

The situation surrounding Alderman Bernd Rubelt, who made headlines with controversial behavior at an event, is particularly explosive. The unexplained dust plague at the Pestalozza primary school in Groß Glienicke is also causing unrest, while there are disputes at the Potsdam transport company ViP regarding the renovation of the depot. In addition, there are anti-Semitic allegations against a new exhibition in the Fluxus Museum, which are causing tension in the town hall.

Financing and political challenges

Aubel also faces difficult financial conditions. The tight city budget and the tense housing market conditions represent further burdens. A decision to finance the free cargo bike rental “Fleet P” was made against their will, but the city has decided not to challenge it. In addition, there are questions about Aubel's support in an SPD-dominated environment, as she did not bring her own confidants to the town hall.

On the occasion of her taking office, Aubel also announced that she would not announce the new, higher water prices before Christmas and planned to terminate the water supply contract with the municipal utility subsidiary EWP. The next regular city council meeting, in which many of these issues are likely to be addressed, will take place next Wednesday.

Legal dispute and mayoral election

Another topic that concerns the mayor are previous allegations against her, which are now being processed. The Neuruppin public prosecutor's office has stopped the investigation against Aubel due to the acceptance of benefits. There were allegations that she had accepted free tickets to sporting and cultural events. But MAZ Online reported that in almost all cases the suspicion could not be confirmed, and in one individual case the allegation was not pursued further due to its insignificance. Aubel expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the public prosecutor's office and plans to deal with such matters even more transparently in the future.

Finally, Aubel is also considered a possible candidate for the upcoming mayoral election in the fall. The election committee has now announced the applicants for the election on September 21, 2025. In addition to Aubel, the approved candidates also include Severin Fischer from the SPD, Clemens Viehrig from the CDU and many others Potsdam.de lists.

With around 143,000 citizens eligible to vote, an exciting election is expected. If the challenges for Aubel become apparent in local politics, time will also show how she can convince voters of her abilities.