Pub owner wants to bring a breath of fresh air as mayor of Sylt!

Pub owner wants to bring a breath of fresh air as mayor of Sylt!

Westerland (Sylt) – After the sudden deselection of former mayor Nikolas Häckel, the competition for his successor has flared up. The outstanding candidates for the office are Gritje Stöver (46, CDU), Frank Zahel (54, CDU) and Melf Hansen (35, independent), the operator of the popular “Irish Pub” in Westerland. Hansen, who many call him the “cool pub landlord”, has already expressed optimism about his chances and emphasized the desire for new momentum on the island. “Sylt is becoming more and more boring, party life is dying out,” said Hansen in an interview Picture.

Elections will take place on Sylt on March 16, 2025. Hansen sees his priorities as creating more affordable housing and improving rail connections. The former mayor Häckel was voted out of office on September 29th by an overwhelming majority, around 83 percent of the voters NDR reported. He was found dead in Hamburg a few days ago, which makes the situation all the more tragic. Since being voted out, Häckel had already taken temporary retirement and announced that he would spend a few months in a monastery.

The background to the deselection

The reasons for Häckel's deselection were complex. It was clear that he had been on sick leave since February due to burnout. The majority of the local council factions declared that a “breakdown of the relationship of trust” had occurred, which ultimately led to the deselection. Häckel himself reacted calmly and emphasized that he was satisfied with his time in office. However, his absence and the associated difficulties in setting up a regular budget were not without consequences. Now the candidates are in the starting blocks to steer the fortunes of the popular North Sea island.