Franziska Giffey is set to become Berlin’s first female mayor, according to preliminary results from a tense election that saw outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats party post their worst-ever results, coming in second to Social Democrats for the first time in over 10 years.
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On Monday, 43-year-old SPD candidate Giffey took to social media to thank her supporters — who said it was “about time” a woman led the capital and described her as a woman who gets things done.
“Thank you all very much,” Giffey tweeted, admitting that the race had been close and at times uncertain.
Giffey, in a new role as mayor of the capital, has said she plans to focus on the economy, education and sustainability.
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Her election comes as Germany’s first female chancellor prepares to step down after 16 years as the country’s leader.
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And it follows a turbulent period for Giffey herself, who was forced to resign from her role as federal minister for family affairs in Merkel’s national government in May, amid recurring allegations that she plagiarized her doctoral dissertation in 2010.
“The government, my party and the public have a right to clarity. I have decided to ask the Chancellor to relieve me of the office of minister,” Giffey said in a statement at the time.
Defending herself from the allegations, Giffey said she wrote the thesis “to the best of my ability,” but added: “I regret it if I made mistakes in this.”
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An investigation conducted by Berlin’s Free University, where Giffey attended, in response to the claims found that Giffey had not correctly attributed information to authors cited in her thesis and that some of the content had been lifted from other works.
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In June, the university board said it would be stripping Giffey of her doctorate title, which she no longer uses as a result of their decision.
Following the scandal, Giffey said she would use the time to focus on the upcoming elections and noted that her goals for the German capital include boosting jobs and the economy, inclusive education and protecting the climate.
Giffey will take over from the SDP’s Michael Mueller, who has held the role of Berlin’s governing mayor since 2014 but opted not to run again in this election.
After entering politics at the age of 29, Giffey has worked as the European commissioner for the Neuk？lln District and city councilor for education, schools, culture and sport.
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