German village elects Syrian refugee as Mayor in historic vote

A mayoral election in a small Swabian village has made German history. Ryyan Alshebl, who fled Syria just eight years ago, has been elected as Mayor of Ostelsheim.

Syrian-born Mayor elected in Baden-Württemberg

After fleeing the Syrian Civil War in 2015, Ryyan Alshebl was one of the 1,1 million refugees who arrived in Germany that year. Just eight years later, Alshebl has been elected Mayor of Ostelheim, in a historic moment for German politics.

On Sunday, Alshebl was elected as a non-party candidate in the village in Baden-Württemberg, after a campaign that the 29-year-old described as “overwhelmingly positive”. Before fleeing his southern Syrian hometown of as-Suwaida, Alshebl studied finance. Still in his salad days when he arrived in Germany, the then-21-year-old got a job in local administration in the nearby town of Althengstett, where he learnt German and English.

Having received 55,41 percent of the vote, Alshebl said in his acceptance speech that his nomination meant that Ostelsheim had “become a symbol of tolerance and cosmopolitanism for the whole of Germany." Though he was elected as an independent candidate, Alshebl is a member of the Green Party.

What are Alshebl’s plans for Ostelsheim?

So what is on the agenda for Ostelsheim now that its 2.500 residents have elected their new Mayor? Alshebl has said that pushing for all-day spots at Kita, which were done away with during the coronavirus pandemic, is a top priority.

Constructing a “lively” town centre, making sure telephone networks and internet services in the village are improved, and investing more in climate policy were also cited in the new Mayor’s manifesto.

In the election, Alshebl beat Marco Strauß and Mathias Fey, both of whom were born and grew up in Baden-Württemberg.

Thumb image credit: Jens Kolditz / Shutterstock.com