Jakob Friedl, Regensburg's direct candidate for the federal election, calls in a statement published today not to vote for him under any circumstances.
Apart from that, the election campaign of the 42-year-old artist and city councilor is unusual.
Regensburg - That a Bundestag candidate expressly calls not to vote should be a far-reaching novelty.
The artist Jakob Friedl does this in Regensburg *.
In 2020, the 42-year-old was just elected to the city council.
With his "Ribisl-Partie" he had led a rather unusual election campaign.
Instead of classic posters, there was art in the public space on the streets and bridges in Regensburg - individually painted and drawn messages under the motto “Painting battle instead of election campaign”.
Bundestag candidate advises: Tick somewhere else
Friedl wanted the whole thing to be understood as a “participatory total work of art”. The Ribisl eV, which he founded, made a total of 100 posters and five large displays available to interested parties for individual design in order, as it was said, to “enable participation”. Even the Regensburg corruption affair made it onto a large poster, along with the portraits of the former mayors Hans Schaidinger and Joachim Wolbergs as well as the CSU member of the state parliament, Franz Rieger.
Friedl has now also stood in the Regensburg constituency for the federal election *.
As a candidate for the Fridays for Future movement with a “painting fight for the climate”.
This is evidenced by posters with the slogans “Let's save the climate” or “Protect Wild Nature” and large displays with elaborate paintings on the arteries.
But Friedl actually doesn't want to be elected at all.
On the contrary, he asks the voters urgently to put their cross somewhere else than with him.
(By the way: Our brand new Regensburg newsletter informs you about all developments and results from the world cultural heritage city - and of course about all other important stories from Regensburg.)
Candidate does not want to be elected: Others need it more urgently
"Although Jakob Friedl's chances are certainly not bad, he has now realized that Berlin is a little further away from the Ribisl-Haus than Burgweinting and he no longer wants to be elected," said a press release on Thursday. Friedl would rather focus on the work of the city council, which he sees as a “full-time mandate”. “In order to get your head out of the loop and make the best of the situation”, he therefore recommends that voters “use their little cross effectively” and vote for someone else.
Friedl justifies his withdrawal with the fact that in Bavaria no party other than the CSU has the chance of a direct mandate anyway.
However, ecological, social or progressive small parties could at least benefit from reimbursement of election campaign costs - provided they receive the necessary 10,000 votes.
He does not want to withdraw any initial votes from these parties.
The city council explicitly mentions the Left and the ÖDP.
He expressly advises against choosing “right-wing conservative, openly racist or conspiratorial parties and fun parties”.
Bundestag candidate makes painting fight instead of election campaign
He gives the political competition in general: “Dear direct candidates of the socially and ecologically oriented parties, show your common interest in a progressive ecological and social policy in solidarity, divide the Bavarian constituencies in equal parts and or submit at least one common election recommendation for constituency 233 (Regensburg, editor's note). "
Despite his recommendation not to vote, Friedl wants to continue the “painting fight for the climate”. In the Ribisl-Haus all those interested in the constituency would also have the opportunity to create their own painting posters from leftover paintwork and wood waste, “to convey ecological, social and other issues and to comment on public space in a location-specific manner”. But under no circumstances should they choose him.
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