Municipal representative Kristina Frank (CSU) would like to extend her contract, which expires in the summer, but to do so she has to go through an application process. The majority factions in the city council, SPD/Volt and Green/Pink List, want to decide to advertise their position in the city council next Wednesday. And as it currently stands, one of the candidates could actually be called Kristina Frank. “I love my job, do it every day with passion and full commitment and can well imagine continuing my successful work in the ‘Team Municipal Department’,” she said on Friday.
The speakers could also be called city ministers; they each head their own part of the city administration. The municipal department is responsible, among other things, for municipal real estate and garbage collection. Frank was elected to office in 2018 by the black-red city government. Her contract ends on July 31st. After the change of government in 2020 from a black-red to a green-red alliance, the job of the CSU’s last mayoral candidate is in acute danger.
Because speaker positions are usually awarded politically. According to the coalition agreement, the SPD would originally have been allowed to decide on the head of the municipal department. But after a positional castling, the Social Democrats received the health department in 2020, and the municipal department was set to neutral. Neither the SPD nor the Greens can simply push through their own candidate. That could increase Frank’s chances.
When tendering, the city council must generally apply the principle of selecting the best. Should Frank actually apply, she could not only score points with her formal suitability as a lawyer, but also with her relevant professional experience. Unlike economics officer Clemens Baumgärtner, also a CSU member, she also noticeably held back when it came to party politics.
This also brings her recognition from unexpected quarters. Left parliamentary group leader Stefan Jagel describes the cooperation as “very good”. He particularly appreciates their commitment when it comes to exercising the city’s right of first refusal, i.e. the acquisition of apartment buildings threatened by gentrification. The FDP and the Bavarian Party would prefer to dissolve the municipal department in order to streamline the administration. If this doesn’t happen, they will demand Frank’s re-election. This “did a good job and tackled many issues that had previously been neglected for years,” said city councilor Richard Progl.
The SPD and the Greens are also holding back from criticizing the content. SPD parliamentary group leader Christian Köning does not want to make a judgment about Frank’s term of office, but points out that it makes sense to look for the best solution through a tender. “There is no party political determination,” he said. Anyone and everyone can apply. Green party leader Mona Fuchs also spoke out in favor of the tender, but was much friendlier towards Frank. She said that we had always worked with her well and trustingly across all party colors. “Of course” Frank could apply again. There is speculation in the town hall that the Greens could have even imagined extending Frank’s contract, but the SPD insisted on a tender.
The fact that the CSU considers its speaker to be ideally suited is of course the least surprising. If professional expertise and not “political games” were the deciding factor, then it would be very difficult to choose someone from the application process over Frank, said CSU parliamentary group leader Manuel Pretzl. And the local government representative herself? “The recognition from all sides for the trusting and effective cooperation for Munich makes me happy – and motivates me,” she said. And was already preparing for her possible application. “Doing good across all party lines is good for Munich – especially in these difficult times.”