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Potsdam votes: Who will take the helm in the urgent housing crisis?
Find out everything about the 2025 mayoral election in Potsdam: candidates, goals and challenges for urban development.
Potsdam votes: Who will take the helm in the urgent housing crisis?
The upcoming mayoral election in Potsdam, which will take place on October 12, 2025, could be crucial for the future of the city. After Mike Schubert (SPD) was voted out by referendum on May 25, 2023, there are now six candidates and one female candidate to choose from, all of whom are confronted with the pressing issue of housing construction. Around 143,000 Potsdam residents are eligible to vote, and conversations about developments in the city have become more intense.
Various sources report that the housing shortage in Potsdam is dramatic, despite stagnating population growth. It is predicted that the population could rise from the current 188,000 to up to 206,000 by 2045. The “Pro Potsdam” initiative is planning more than 600 new apartments. But the construction is not making progress because permits in landscape protection areas and fears from local residents are an obstacle. Only 233 building permits were issued in the first half of 2025, a decrease of 40% compared to the previous year, despite over 1,000 apartments being approved annually before 2022.
The candidates at a glance
The candidates for the mayoral election bring different approaches to the challenges in Potsdam:
- Severin Fischer (SPD): Geboren 1983 und zurzeit Staatssekretär in der Berliner Senatsverwaltung, möchte er den Wohnungsbau ankurbeln und die Verwaltung verbessern.
- Clemens Viehrig (CDU): Jahrgang 1978 und Referatsleiter im Brandenburger Landesministerium für Infrastruktur, setzt auf schnelleren Wohnungsbau und Verkehrsverstärkung.
- Chaled-Uwe Said (AfD): Diplom-Verwaltungswissenschaftler und Stadtverordneter, fordert stärkeren Autoverkehr und einen neuen Havelübergang.
- Dirk Harder (parteilos, kooperiert mit Die Linke): Ehemaliger Stadtjugendring-Chef, betont soziale Gerechtigkeit und bezahlbare Mieten.
- Michael Reichert (BVB/Freie Wähler): Ehemaliger Luft- und Raumfahrtingenieur, setzt sich für kostenlose Kitas und genossenschaftliche Schulen ein.
- Alexander Wietschel (Die Partei): Ehemaliges Mitglied der Stadtverordnetenversammlung, fordert Enteignung von großen Wohnungsunternehmen.
- Noosha Aubel (parteilos, unterstützt von Grünen, Volt, Die Andere, BfW): Aktuelle Stadträtin in Flensburg, will Bürgerbeteiligung und besseren ÖPNV fördern.
If no candidate achieves an absolute majority in the first round, a runoff election will take place on October 12, 2025.
Urban development and future prospects
The context for this choice is shaped by the challenges of urban development. According to the national urban development policy, support at local levels is necessary to address transformation challenges such as housing construction and the creation of sustainable infrastructure. Innovative, partnership-based projects are needed to address the dynamics of change in cities. This represents one of the central tasks that the future mayor must tackle in order to keep Potsdam sustainable, reports the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction.
The discussion about the type of growth is the top priority. Whether through careful densification or the construction of entire residential areas remains of central importance for voters and the future development of Potsdam. With an election talk on September 16, 2025, citizens will have the opportunity to engage more closely with the candidates and their positions.