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No More Cat Table in the Council Chamber of Weißenfels City CouncilThe Weißenfels City Council is quite a special case in this German "democracy". Or rather, those council members who feel connected to the chairman of the council, King Ekkart the Günther. 
As has been reported here several times, King Ekkart the Günther has his issues with real democracy, transparency, and freedom of the press. He doesn’t like being watched too closely or having his voice listened to. Recordings of his visage and his timbre are not something he wants to see spread in public. Some malicious tongues might now suggest that this alone disqualifies him as chairman of a city council who leads its meetings. But maybe that falls under inclusion or something. As regular readers of Bürgerstimme may know, I, the independent video journalist, have had my – also costly – experiences with King Ekkart the Günther. In the last council meeting, there were once again discussions because I had the audacity to position my cameras down in the chamber – where the "cat table" has long been the home of the writing guild from the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. Ekkart the Günther decreed that the video-recording modern age must take its place up on the gallery. The space down on the floor is reserved solely for those who document events with pen and paper. Why? That has never been justified administratively – despite repeated requests and references to our lovely Administrative Procedure Act. But King Ekkart the Günther likes to spare himself such formal legal standards. He prefers to rule arbitrarily. Legal foundations seem to be anathema to him and his lady adjutants. On June 19th, 2025, there was another council meeting. This time, I didn’t even try to mingle with the illustrious councillors. Not that I would’ve succeeded. Because King Ekkart the Günther and his loyal, brave anti-democrats had come up with something new. The "cat table" for the writing guild was removed from the chamber. In the name of equal treatment, even those press representatives armed with sharp-tipped pens must now take their seat on the gallery – next to the riffra... uh, common folk. Where the cat table once stood, there now stands a plant. It seems more important to the democracy-weary chairman than someone who reports to the people about the promises made in the chamber. Camera visibility certainly hasn’t improved. My goal was to get somewhat reasonable perspectives for the camera lenses – which just doesn’t work from the gallery. Ekkart the Günther has now fundamentally put a stop to that. The view on things might now be more elevated for the writing guild – but it's also from a much greater distance. How this innovation was received by MZ journalists, I cannot say. What was striking, however, was that the writing journalists did not wish to support me in my plea for press freedom. I’d even say the opposite was the case. There’s now also a sign at the chamber entrance stating that only invited guests may pass through this gate. I’m wondering whether “invited” also applies in the figurative sense. Some might indeed be pretty "loaded" over certain matters. Seems they’d rather keep the people at bay. 
Even One Person Can Make a DifferenceOne plus point, however: The audio system is said – according to hearsay – to have been improved. The intelligibility of what was being said in the chamber had previously been poor to non-existent up on the gallery. That’s supposedly better now. So the riffra... uh... citizen can now more easily listen to the words of the much-adored chairman of the council, King Ekkart the Günther.And perhaps it’s not even a bad thing that the distance between the press and certain political actors is growing. Too much proximity can lead to overly positive reporting. The press, after all, is supposed to act as the fourth estate and keep a very close eye on politics, isn’t it? If one or another citizen (the sovereign in a democracy, by the way) believes that a single individual can’t make a difference, this example shows that you actually can. You just have to stick with it. And it’s really quite simple. You can ask questions about city matters during council sessions, and the administration is obliged to respond. You can do this again and again. On June 18th, 2025, in contrast to Weißenfels, it was quite noticeable that some citizens in Naumburg made use of this right to ask questions during their local council meeting. PS to the staff of MZ: That you now have to take your seats up on the gallery was not caused by me. It’s a decision made by Ekkart the Günther. Should you feel any resentment, then please direct it to King Ekkart the Günther. Author: AI Translation - Michael Thurm | 19.06.2025 |
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