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Kiel votes: Runoff election between Derkowski and Yilmaz on December 7th!
On November 16, 2025, Kiel elected a new head of administration, with a runoff election between Derkowski and Yilmaz on December 7.
Kiel votes: Runoff election between Derkowski and Yilmaz on December 7th!
On November 16, 2025, the time had come: the people of Kiel had the opportunity to elect a new head of administration. In an exciting election, around 190,000 Kiel residents were eligible to vote, and the result was a topic of conversation. None of the nine candidates were able to achieve an absolute majority, which is why a runoff election is necessary. NDR reported that voter turnout was 48.9%.
Gerrit Derkowski, independent and supported by the CDU and FDP, received the most votes and received 28.7%. Samet Yilmaz from the Greens followed him with 24.8%, while Ulf Daude from the SPD got 23.3%. Other candidates were Björn Thoroe (Left, 8.1%), Hubert Pinto de Kraus (AfD, 5.8%), Viola Ketelsen (Volt, 4.1%), Marcel Schmidt (SSW, 3.9%), Florian Wrobel (The Party, 0.9%) and Ansgar Stalder (The Basis, 0.6%). A runoff election between Derkowski and Yilmaz will take place on December 7, 2025, as neither of them was able to obtain the necessary majority.
Election candidates in detail
The selection of candidates was not only numerous, but also diverse. Gerrit Derkowski, former presenter at NDR, promises a breath of fresh air in the town hall. Samet Yilmaz brings with him his experience as head of department in the Ministry of the Interior. Ulf Daude, on the other hand, who came out of this election as a disappointed third party, will not make any voting recommendations. Among the other candidates is Björn Thoroe, who already has experience as a member of the state parliament. Hubert Pinto de Kraus, a former soldier and naval instructor, ran for the AfD. Viola Ketelsen, freelance litigation supporter from Volt, Marcel Schmidt, retired police chief inspector from SSW, as well as Florian Wrobel and Ansgar Stalder, both of whom are running as representatives of smaller parties, rounded out the field.
Women in leadership positions
In another area that is of great importance to society, a current one shows statistics that the proportion of women in management positions in Germany will be 29.1% in 2024. This equates to 540,000 female leaders, while there are 1.32 million male leaders. Compared to the EU, Germany has a slightly lower proportion of women in management positions of 29.1% than the average of 35.2%. Leaders such as Sweden and Latvia have examples of better gender balance in leadership positions at 44.4% and 43.4%.
These numbers illustrate how important it is to promote and make visible women in leadership roles. Initiatives like the Extraordinary Women Quiz celebrate notable women in history and highlight their achievements in various fields such as science, politics and art. Above all, such commitment demonstrates how crucial education and inspiration are in overcoming barriers and encouraging women to step into leadership roles.