Michaela Schneider-Wettstein: The young hope for Ludwigshafen!

Michaela Schneider-Wettstein: The young hope for Ludwigshafen!

The starting signal for the election campaign for the mayor's office in Ludwigshafen: Michaela Schneider-Wettstein, 45 years old, is the only woman and the youngest applicant in the race. The Volt party candidate has established herself in the political landscape of Rhineland-Palatinate since June 2024 and is part of the MaLu team responsible for Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. Volt, a socially liberal and pro-European party, has successfully won mandates in major cities such as Munich, Cologne and Bonn and often forms coalitions with other parties.

“Ludwigshafen should be made more inclusive, sustainably lively and close to the citizens,” that is Michaela Schneider-Wettstein’s central concern. Her focus is on participation, accessibility and social justice. In her role as a speaker for inclusion at the Goethe University Frankfurt, she advocates for digital accessibility and brings valuable experience from her professional career to politics. On April 26, 2025, she was unanimously nominated as a candidate for mayor, a vote of confidence in her party.

Inclusion in focus

The importance of inclusion is not only a personal concern for Schneider-Wettstein, but also a topic discussed nationwide. Around eight million people in Germany live with severe disabilities, which illustrates the tangible need for action. Schneider-Wettstein sees the urgency of making local public transport barrier-free for all citizens, including people with disabilities. The need is increasing because the election programs of the major parties are often criticized because they lack concrete approaches to improving inclusion, as Deutschlandfunk reports.

Michaela will also be the voice of those who long for improved access to education and work. The social challenges in Ludwigshafen are enormous, and the increased promotion of accessibility in housing, mobility and health systems are topics that she is focusing on in her candidacy.

Volt and municipal responsibility

The Volt party has proven itself to be a reliable partner in many cities and is committed to cooperative solutions. With the clear goal of giving people from a wide variety of life situations a voice, Michaela Schneider-Wettstein is planning a policy that does justice to the diversity of Ludwigshafen's citizens. Whether this will happen through the creation of an inclusive education system or a barrier-free city remains to be seen, but their clear vision speaks volumes.

With her candidacy, Schneider-Wettstein brings a breath of fresh air into the political landscape of Ludwigshafen and shows that new approaches to local politics are also possible. The hope is that the support from your party and the serious discussion of social issues will not only bring about a new perspective, but above all a coexistence that includes all citizens.