Octavian Ursu, a German of Romanian origin and a candidate of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has won a second term as mayor of the city of Görlitz, eastern Germany, after defeating Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party candidate Sebastian Wippel in the second round.

The election in Görlitz was watched closely, as the German far-right continued to get strong results in the east of the country, according to Digi24.

A total of 44,500 people were eligible to vote. The CDU candidate secured 55.8% of the vote, while the AfD representative received 44.2%. Voter turnout was 56.8%.

Ursu also won in the second round against the same candidate in 2019.

Born in Bucharest in 1967, Octavian Ursu settled in Germany in 1990, after completing his musical studies. He worked as a solo trumpeter for the Neuen Lausitzer Philharmonic in Görlitz before entering politics. He has been a member of the City Council since 2009 and has held the position of mayor of the city since 2019. 

The mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, who is also a German and Romanian citizen, sent a message of support for Ursu after the elections.

“Romanian and European Octavian Ursu has won a second term as mayor in Germany, in Görlitz. Once again, he defeated a far-right candidate in the second round. It is his victory, but it is also a victory of European values,” said Fritz, who also leads the reformist center-right Save Romania Union party in Romania. 

The Timișoara mayor noted that Görlitz, a city located right on the border with Poland, operates its heating system together with the Polish city of Zgorzelec. He also highlighted the ethnic diversity of the city.

Görlitz is sometimes referred to as Görliwood for the many films shot there. Among them were Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, or George Clooney’s The Monuments Men. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Oberbürgermeister Octavian Ursu on Facebook)