BBV district chairman wins fight vote

Created: 06/07/2022, 06:00

By: Friedbert Holz

the new BBV district board (front, from left): 2nd district farmer Irmgard Radlmaier, district farmer Irmgard Posch, assessor Sabine Berger, district president Ralf Huber, (back, from left) managing director Gerhard Stock, district chairman Jakob Maier, assessor Franz Bauschmid, vice Bernhard Hartl, Michael Rappold, Anton Rasthofer, Andreas Glasl and valuation officer Franz Sedlmaier.

© Friedbert Holz

The old BBV district chairman is also the new one: Jakob Maier.

However, the road to get there was rocky.

And there is one big loser.

Riedersheim – Outside, the clouds were gathering to form a thunderstorm, inside the Prostmeier inn it was bubbling in a different way: the local chairman's meeting in the Erding district association of the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) elected its new board.

The position of district chairman in particular has recently been the subject of much discussion.

Michael Hamburger (44) from Buch am Buchrain, previously deputy, had asserted his claim to this position in a declaration of war, as had incumbent Jakob Maier (we reported).

In the election on Monday evening, however, Hamburger lost surprisingly clearly – 12 to 25 votes.

It was not to be his only defeat that evening.

"What's the problem with you two?" asked a farmer, expressing what moved many.

But those responsible had thought of a different procedure than washing dirty laundry on the open stage: both applicants were allowed to present themselves and their goals.

Hamburger made it clear that he saw the management of the BBV district board "not as a one-man show".

Rather, he was in favor of collegial cooperation.

He announced that the position of farmers would be emphasized more.

"The BBV must be an advocate of property".

According to Hamburger, it is important to do more public relations work - especially in social media and through political contacts.

He also wants to take up topics such as land use and emission protection from scratch and wants to reactivate the district advisory committee.

Maier, on the other hand, kept it short: "I've been doing my job in this position for five years, you can now judge for yourself".

In fact, at the beginning of the meeting, in his review of the time since 2017, he touched on a few topics: for example, the idea of ​​what is known as biodiversity, "the great challenge of swine fever", the long discussion with hunters and the district office about the approval of night vision devices, the foundation an internal Whatsapp group for more communication and statements on two referendums.

"In doing so," says Maier, "a lot of frustration tolerance was necessary," because the peasantry had been attacked by the public, some of them harshly.

For many outsiders, agriculture is still too complex and therefore difficult to understand.

The issue of compensation areas is still controversial, especially with conservationists.

And finally, young farmers in particular are increasingly asking the association “whether we are perhaps producing too much”.

After the election, Maier was the clear winner, but he wasn't really happy.

"This result makes me think."

Then he launched an attack: When it came to choosing the deputy and Hamburger's name came up again, Maier made it clear: "I can't accept him as a deputy after the quarrels, please understand that".

So an alternative was asked for, which was quickly found in the person of Bernhard Hartl from Lengdorf.

He won the election against Hamburger by 22 votes to 14.

After Michael Rappold (Buch am Buchrain), Anton Rasthofer (Kirchberg), Andreas Glasl (Taufkirchen), Sabine Berger (Dorfen) and Franz Bauschmid (Altenerding) could also be won five assessors, Irmgard Posch, who was re-elected as district farmer ( Isen) and her new deputy Irmgard Radlmaier (Hofkirchen/report follows) two more women before the committee.

At the very end, the district chairman found conciliatory words and apologized to Hamburger for his "very emotional statement".

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