Dominik Krause: 35, physicist, homosexual… Munich’s inexperienced mayor | EUROtoday

On this historic Sunday, Dominik Krause would not wish to depart something to probability. To make it possible for he wins the election, he cycles to the Munich Residence once more and rubs the snout of a bronze lion on the entrance, as he reveals on Instagram. The folks of Munich know that that is alleged to deliver good luck.

And in actual fact, a number of hours later, Krause achieved what was thought-about unthinkable a number of weeks in the past: he gained clearly in opposition to the incumbent Dieter Reiter (SPD), who had lengthy been thought-about nearly invincible – and have become the primary Green in Munich’s historical past to maneuver into the town corridor as boss. The deputy turns into the mayor.

“It’s crazy” and “crazy,” says Krause as he steps onto the stage on the Green Party’s election get together to chants and the Oktoberfest hit “Bella Napoli.” He speaks of a historic day, a sensation and thanks “for the gigantic trust” that the folks of Munich have positioned in him. He desires to “preserve a cosmopolitan and colorful Munich” and: “The people of Munich have shown that they are up for exactly that.” That was the actual sensation of this night.

The 35-year-old had already made headlines throughout the nation along with his shock success within the first spherical of voting on March eighth, when he pressured the incumbent Reiter into the runoff election. He had solely acquired this a lot consideration as soon as earlier than – in 2023, shortly after he took workplace as Second Mayor. At the time, he known as the Munich Oktoberfest the “world’s largest open drug scene.”

Now he would be the first Green individual to open the Oktoberfest and faucet the primary barrel. He actually believes in two strokes – the measure of all issues earlier than the primary Wiesn measure. “I’ve done that several times,” he mentioned throughout the marketing campaign.

The Oktoberfest factor was the one provocation that Krause has allowed himself thus far. He seems very pleasant, typically nearly reserved. Even within the election marketing campaign, when his competitor Reiter stumbled massively due to the affair over remunerated mandates at FC Bayern Munich, the 35-year-old all the time remained honest, by no means attacked the incumbent personally, and quite the opposite emphasised the all the time good and appreciative cooperation along with his earlier boss.

According to a spokesman, his supporters needed to wait just a little longer for him on the Green Party’s election marketing campaign get together as a result of he was nonetheless writing to the dropping rider. His first of many thanks goes to his competitor. “We showed what politics can look like,” he says. “Many thanks to Dieter Reiter.”

While Reiter ran an election marketing campaign that was strictly tailor-made to his character and was paying homage to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “You know me,” Krause centered on content material and notably on reasonably priced housing. He has promised 50,000 new residences. Reiter’s motto was “Fits”. That from Krause, who promised a breath of recent air within the city corridor, was: “Because more is possible”. “We have to go faster and we may have to do more in one place or another,” he mentioned.

But Krause is under no circumstances afraid of battle. He can be not afraid of arguments along with his get together colleagues. When he publicly spoke out in favor of Munich’s Olympic bid in August 2024, he offended many Greens.

At the identical time, he additionally relied on help from his get together colleague Robert Habeck within the election marketing campaign – with this, Krause additionally took a sure danger in Bavaria, as a result of the CSU has been mobilizing loudly in opposition to Habeck for years. Before the runoff election, he went on a bar marketing campaign with Green Party chief Felix Banaszak.

He bases his political dedication on experiences throughout a Nazi demonstration in Munich. Krause then joined the Green Party, joined the town council as a younger pupil in 2014 and has since been deputy chairman of the favored “Munich is colorful” affiliation, which repeatedly organizes giant demonstrations in opposition to extremism.

Like his competitor Reiter, the physicist Krause was born in Munich and has deep roots within the metropolis. He names the Isar as his favourite place and the newly designed Max-Joseph-Platz in entrance of the opera with a number of crocuses.

Krause, the “Bürgaymeister”, as he typically calls himself, lives along with his fiancé Sebastian, a physician, within the Giesing district. According to his personal statements, he met him at a dance class. After his election victory, he despatched a thanks “to the love of my life,” with out whom none of this could have been doable: “Dear Sebi, thank you.”

Krause, who names mountaineering, climbing and snowboarding as his hobbies, all the time confidently counters critics who suppose he’s nonetheless too younger for the workplace of mayor and likes to check with Hans-Jochen Vogel. The SPD politician was 34 years previous when he was elected to the manager chair in Munich City Hall in 1960.

When Reiter was out for 2 months after an operation final 12 months, Krause took over his duties – quietly and with none mishaps. And he additionally carried out official enterprise within the scorching part earlier than the runoff election. Reiter took trip for the election marketing campaign. Krause says he now desires to dedicate himself to his new job “with the necessary humility and respect for this office.”