As Ostsee Zeitung reported Nov. 17, the public statement by the City of Stralsund, and backed by the entire city council, to be a prospective site of peace talks on Ukraine, has been circulated in France (Soutien de Conseil de la Ville de Stralsund, Soutien à des Pourparlers de Paix) and so far received support from 15 French mayors, with their number still growing. The article mentions three mayors: Patrick Kind of Chidrac; Jacky Dumini of Ors; and Emmanuel Payer of Chaudeney-sur-Moselle.
Thomas Haack, chief manager of the “Citizens of Stralsund” group in the city council, which initiated the statement, reports that the initiative has come under pressure from the Mecklenburg State Government’s Interior Ministry. The ministry charged Stralsund with “political trespassing” in assuming competence in foreign affairs, which is a domain of the national German government. Haack, however, views the response from France as evidence that it was appropriate for the statement to be international and political in content.
“I was sent this action [from France] shortly after our decision in the City Council,” Haack said. “After that, I first looked it up on Google. And, lo and behold, there is an initiative of French mayors who finally want peace—and publicly support our resolution.”
It shows to him, he said, that the “longing for peace in the world is there everywhere. And you also have to network internationally for peace initiatives,” Haack said. “We are happy about everyone who supports our peace efforts. So our resolution has already achieved quite a bit. And not only national, but also international attention.” And this, despite the fact that Mayor Badrow and the Stralsund citizens were reprimanded for the resolution by the Mecklenburg Ministry of the Interior.
