Editing Flensburg (section)

==Politics==
For centuries, two mayors led the town council, one for the north town (St. Marien) and one for the south town (St. Nikolai and St. Johannis). The council members and mayors were chosen by the council itself: retiring officials' successors were named by the remaining councillors in such a way that both halves of the town had as many members. These councillors usually bore the title "Senator".

This "town government" lasted until 1742 when the "northern mayor" was made the "directing mayor" by the Danish King. From this position came what was later known as the First Mayor. The second mayor simply bore the title "mayor" ("''Bürgermeister''"). After the town was ceded to Prussia, the townsfolk elected the mayors as of 1870, and the First Mayor was given the title ''Oberbürgermeister'', still the usual title in German towns and cities. During the Third Reich, the town head was appointed by those who held power locally.

In 1945, after the Second World War, a twofold leadership based on a British model was introduced. Heading the town stood foremost the ''Oberbürgermeister'', who was chosen by the town council and whose job was as chairman of council and the municipality. Next to him was an ''Oberstadtdirektor'' ("Higher Town Director"), who was leader of administration. In 1950, when Schleswig-Holstein brought its new laws for municipalities into force, the title ''Oberbürgermeister'' was transferred (once again) to this latter official. At first, and for a while, he was chosen by the council. Since that time, the former official has been called the ''Stadtpräsident'' ("Town President"), and is likewise chosen by the council after each municipal election. Since 1999, the ''Oberbürgermeister'' has been chosen directly by the voters, as before.

The first directly elected ''Oberbürgermeister'', Hermann Stell, died on 4 May 2004 of a [[stroke]]. On 14 November 2004, the independent candidate suggested by the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]], Klaus Tscheuschner, was elected to replace Stell with 59% of the vote. In the 2003 municipal election, Hans Hermann Laturnus was elected ''Stadtpräsident''.

In the 2008 municipal election, the local list WiF (Wir in Flensburg) was elected the largest group in the Council Assembly of Flensburg, with 10 city councillors out of 43, closely followed by the [[South Schleswig Voter Federation]] (''Südschleswigscher Wählerverband'') (9 councillors) and the [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]] (9 councillors). Also elected was the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] (seven councillors), the [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]] (3 councillors), [[The Left (Germany)|the Left]] (3 councillors) and the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] (2 councillors).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flensburg.de/politik-verwaltung/rat-und-ausschuesse/kommunalwahl-2008/index.php |title=Stadt Flensburg – Kommunalwahl 2008 |publisher=Flensburg.de |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref> Nevertheless, since the WiF-group was divided into two different caucuses, the SSW-group has been the assembly's largest group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shz.de/nachrichten/top-thema/article//ssw-und-cdu-wollen-den-stadtpraesidenten-stuerzen.html |title=SSW und CDU wollen den Stadtpräsidenten stürzen |publisher=shz.de |access-date=2013-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312153341/http://www.shz.de/nachrichten/top-thema/article//ssw-und-cdu-wollen-den-stadtpraesidenten-stuerzen.html |archive-date=2012-03-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The City President is Christian Dewanger (WiF).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flensburg.de/politik-verwaltung/rat-und-ausschuesse/stadtpraesident/index.php |title=Stadt Flensburg – Stadtpräsident |publisher=Flensburg.de |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref>

In the 2010 mayoral election, [[Simon Faber]] (SSW) was elected Lord Mayor of the town in a runoff election with 54.8% of the vote. He was the first person from the Danish Minority to occupy this office since the end of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.faz.net/s/Rub594835B672714A1DB1A121534F010EE1/Doc~EDE458310F7674E4AB8DE10FD7F5BF092~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html |title=Dänische Minderheit: Der Verbindungsmann – Inland |publisher=FAZ |access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref>

===Mayor===
The mayor of Flensburg is Fabian Geyer,<ref name="Flensburg">{{cite web | last=Flensburg | first=Stadt | title=Dr. Fabian Geyer / Flensburg | website=Startseite / Flensburg | url=https://www.flensburg.de/Politik-Verwaltung/Verwaltungsvorstand/Dr-Fabian-Geyer/ | language=de | access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> who was elected in 2022. He took office on 15 January 2023.

===City council===
[[File:2023 Flensburg municipal election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2023 city council election]]
[[File:2018 Flensburg City Council election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2018 city council election]]
The Flensburg city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 14 May 2023, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|South Schleswig Voters' Association}}| 
| align=left| [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] (SSW)
| 6,785
| 24.8
| {{increase}} 7.2
| 11
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 6,470
| 23.6
| {{increase}} 4.8
| 10
| {{increase}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 5,248
| 19.1
| {{decrease}} 0.2
| 8
| ±0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 3,703
| 13.5
| {{decrease}} 4.7
| 6
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 1,553
| 5.7
| {{decrease}} 2.1
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 1,133
| 4.1
| {{decrease}} 3.3
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| We in Flensburg (WiF)
| 670
| 2.4
| {{decrease}} 6.1
| 1
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| 
| align=left| Solidarity City Alliance (BüsoS)
| 571
| 2.1
| {{increase}} 2.1
| 1
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany]] (dieBasis)
| 525
| 1.9
| {{increase}} 1.9
| 1
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Flensburg Votes! (FLW)
| 429
| 1.5
| {{decrease}} 0.7
| 1
| ±0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Volt Germany]] (Volt)
| 328
| 1.2
| {{increase}} 1.2
| 1
| {{increase}} 1
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 27,406
! 99.2
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 219
! 0.8
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 27,625
! 100.0
! 
! 44
! {{increase}} 1
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 77,296
! 35.7
! {{increase}} 0.1
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: City of Flensburg<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wahlen.flensburg.de/Flensburg/kw/ | title=Internet Kommunalwahl 2023 in FLENSBURG }}</ref>
|}

The result of the election held 6 May 2018 were as follows:
{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 5,233
| 19.4
| {{decrease}} 2.7
| 8
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 5,088
| 18.8
| {{increase}} 6.3
| 8
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 4,930
| 18.2
| {{decrease}} 2.5
| 8
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|South Schleswig Voters' Association}}| 
| align=left| [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] (SSW)
| 4,756
| 17.6
| {{decrease}} 1.4
| 8
| ±0
|-
| 
| align=left| We in Flensburg (WiF)
| 2,320
| 8.6
| {{decrease}} 6.4
| 4
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 2,087
| 7.7
| {{increase}} 3.6
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 2,021
| 7.5
| {{increase}} 3.8
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Flensburg Votes! (FLW)
| 599
| 2.2
| {{decrease}} 0.7
| 1
| ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 27,034
! 98.9
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 288
! 1.1
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 27,322
! 100.0
! 
! 43
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 76,827
! 35.6
! {{decrease}} 0.3
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: City of Flensburg<ref>{{cite web | url=https://formular.flensburg.de/App/gw2018.html | title=Kommunalwahl 2018 Flensburg }}</ref>
|}