He’s been second for a little while: Markus Crhak has been second mayor of Neuried for 20 years. He was elected to office on December 17, 2002, when his fellow parliamentary group member at the time, Georg Fahrenschon, moved to the Bundestag. Despite a change at the top of the town hall and a faction change in the municipal council, he remains firmly in office. In the interview, the 51-year-old looks back and tells what he doesn’t envy the first mayor for.
SZ: Mr. Crhak, how are you doing in the role of the eternal deputy?
Markus Crhak: I’m pretty happy with my position and consider it an honor. Colleagues on the municipal council have expressed their trust in me four times in the last 20 years. If the mayor is unavailable, I step in with all the rights and duties of a mayor. I am happy to take on this responsibility. In addition, we also share some appointments among the three mayors.
Do you have favorite dates?
Mayors personally congratulate on certain marriage anniversaries or milestone birthdays. I’m happy to do that if I know the people. I grew up in Neuried and many of those who have celebrated their anniversaries have known me since I was a child. Once I congratulated the director on the anniversary in the kindergarten on Haderner Weg, where I was a child myself.
In 2013 you switched from the CSU to the newly founded Bündnis Zukunft Neuried (BZN) and were re-elected second mayor. Does personality count more than party affiliation in local politics?
In a small town like Neuried, everyone knows each other and personality certainly counts, regardless of whether you belong to a list. I’m still the same despite the faction change – a rather conservative person. At that time I just couldn’t go on in the Neurieder CSU and there was the option of either quitting politics altogether or making a fresh start with the BZN.
You ran for mayor in the 2014 local elections. Disappointed that it didn’t work out then?
At that time, I would actually have liked to become First Mayor, also to set new impulses in municipal politics with the BZN. Looking back, of course, I also know that I was spared a lot.
In what way?
As the first mayor, you are in the front row and have to endure all the displeasure of the people. I think of the multi-purpose hall that hasn’t been usable for years and all the trouble that caused. First it was closed due to the danger of collapsing, then the new construction took years, then construction defects reappeared. The move of the town hall to Hainbuchenring was no fun either. Management could not be reached by phone for days. You just have to be the bearer of bad news often. As a deputy, I’m spared that.