Tübingen Mayor Palmer finds no clear victor following debate with AfD leader

In a heated debate held in Tübingen on Friday evening, Mayor Boris Palmer faced off against Markus Frohnmaier, the state leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The discussion centred around crime statistics, with Palmer arguing that Germany has become safer, while the AfD claimed that actual crime, particularly migrant-related violence, has increased significantly.

Mayor Palmer stated that he effectively addressed the topic during the debate, exposing the AfD's contentious weaknesses. He also noted that the AfD made fewer excited interjections during the discussion, according to his account. However, he admitted that he did not always succeed in exposing these weaknesses as clearly as he would have liked.

Despite the unfavourable conditions, such as a heated atmosphere, delay due to disruptions, lack of time at the end, and his own hoarse voice, Palmer believes that political debates are the main way to success. He announced his intention to use the insights gained from the debate to defeat the AfD more effectively in the future.

Palmer's comments about the debate were posted on his Facebook page on Saturday. He also mentioned that the number of crimes in Tübingen was 5.5 million in the past year. This figure, he noted, represents a decrease from the 6.3 million crimes reported in the year 2000. Furthermore, Palmer stated that the number of serious crimes such as murder and manslaughter also followed the same trend.

The debate was accompanied by strong protests, as previously mentioned. Palmer thinks he could have made it clearer that he does not believe everything Frohnmaier says and that it contrasts with other statements. He also regrets not highlighting Frohnmaier's evasive maneuvers and leaning on right-wing extremist contents.

The debate between Palmer and Frohnmaier refuted the thesis that one can only lose in debates with the AfD. Despite this, Palmer believes there was no clear winner in the debate. He stated that whoever felt safe on the streets 20 years ago, need not have fear today.

In conclusion, the debate between Palmer and Frohnmaier provided a platform for conflicting views on crime data presentation, with Palmer’s statistics criticized for not showing the full reality. However, Palmer remains optimistic about the impact of political debates in shaping the future of Tübingen and Germany.