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 "title": "Peter Tschentscher",
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 "excerpt": "Peter Tschentscher is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party who has led Hamburg as First Mayor since 2018 and was re-elected in May 2025.",
 "snippet": "Peter Tschentscher is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party who has led Hamburg as First Mayor since 2018 and was re-elected in May 2025.",
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 "markdown": "# Peter Tschentscher\n\nPeter Tschentscher is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has served as First Mayor of Hamburg since 2018.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> He leads a coalition of the SPD and the Greens in the city-state of Hamburg.<sup>[2](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)</sup> In May 2025 he was re-elected to the office by the Hamburg Parliament.<sup>[3](https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-05/65329812-tschentscher-als-erster-buermeister-hamburgs-wiedergewaehlt-016.htm)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Party | SPD<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> |\n| Current office | First Mayor of Hamburg (since 2018)<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> |\n\n## Party affiliation\n\nTschentscher is a member of the SPD.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> He has governed Hamburg since 2018 in a coalition of the SPD and the Greens.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup>\n\n## Career\n\nTschentscher became First Mayor of Hamburg, the head of government of the city-state, in 2018, succeeding [Olaf Scholz](https://www.edgepedia.org/olaf-scholz) at the head of a red-green coalition that has governed the city since 2015.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> After the Hamburg state election of March 2, 2025, in which the SPD remained the strongest force despite losses, his party entered coalition negotiations with the Greens.<sup>[2](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)</sup> The two parties presented a coalition agreement titled Hamburg vereint - mit Herz und Verstand (Hamburg united - with heart and reason), which provides for investments in infrastructure, transport, climate protection, and the education system.<sup>[2](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)</sup>\n\nIn May 2025, roughly nine weeks after the election, the Hamburg Parliament re-elected Tschentscher as First Mayor.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> The SPD and the Greens together hold 70 of the parliament's 121 seats, so he received at least one vote from the opposition.<sup>[2](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)</sup> In the same session, the parliament was to confirm Katharina Fegebank of the Greens, whom Tschentscher appointed as Second Mayor, and the other members of his Senate.<sup>[3](https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-05/65329812-tschentscher-als-erster-buermeister-hamburgs-wiedergewaehlt-016.htm)</sup> Besides the mayor's office, the SPD fills seven Senate posts and the Greens four; seven of the twelve posts are held by women.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup>\n\n## Electoral history\n\nIn the Hamburg state election of March 2, 2025, the SPD and the Greens both lost seats; the SPD remained the strongest party, while the Greens placed third behind a strengthened CDU.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup> In the 2020 re-election, Tschentscher had received 87 yes votes and 34 no votes, with two abstentions, when his coalition held a two-thirds majority in a parliament of 123 seats.<sup>[3](https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-05/65329812-tschentscher-als-erster-buermeister-hamburgs-wiedergewaehlt-016.htm)</sup>\n\n## Issues specific to Tschentscher\n\nIn a September 2026 interview with the Hamburger Abendblatt, Tschentscher expressed doubt for the first time that the Elbtower, a high-rise project initiated under Scholz, would be completed. He said the city would participate in the planned natural history museum only at a calculable fixed price and would not take on the financial risks of private investors.<sup>[4](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article413124881/hamburg-news-tschentscher-zweifelt-an-vollendung-des-elbtowers.html)</sup>\n\nOn urban development, Tschentscher said in a March 2026 podcast: \"Das müssen künftige Generationen bewerten. Aber ich kann sagen, dass in den letzten acht Jahren meiner Amtszeit viele Projekte vorangekommen sind.\" (Edgepedia translation: \"Future generations will have to judge that. But I can say that in the last eight years of my time in office many projects have moved forward.\")<sup>[5](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article411330728/die-oper-ist-ein-jahrhundertprojekt.html)</sup> He cited the development of the Science City and of the Grasbrook area, which extends the HafenCity across the Elbe, saying: \"Wir haben große Schritte in der Stadtentwicklung gemacht\" (Edgepedia translation: \"We have made great steps in urban development\").<sup>[5](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article411330728/die-oper-ist-ein-jahrhundertprojekt.html)</sup> He welcomed the planned new opera house on the Baakenhöft, designed by the Danish architect [Bjarke Ingels](https://www.edgepedia.org/bjarke-ingels) and endowed by the philanthropist [Klaus-Michael Kühne](https://www.edgepedia.org/klaus-michael-kuhne), saying: \"Das wird ein herausragender Ort für die Opernkultur und für die Stadt insgesamt.\" (Edgepedia translation: \"This will be an outstanding place for opera culture and for the city as a whole.\")<sup>[5](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article411330728/die-oper-ist-ein-jahrhundertprojekt.html)</sup>\n\n## Positions and voting record\n\n### Climate protection and energy\n\nOn climate policy, Tschentscher said in September 2026 that the gas grid \"wird sicher irgendwann abgeschaltet\" (Edgepedia translation: \"will certainly be shut off at some point\"), and that he considers the city's climate goals achievable; he also gave advice to property owners on replacing heating systems.<sup>[6](https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article413127862/buergermeister-tschentscher-das-gasnetz-wird-sicher-irgendwann-abgeschaltet.html)</sup> The coalition agreement of his government provides for billion-scale investments in climate protection, among other areas.<sup>[2](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)</sup>\n\n### Government record and future\n\nIn a September 2026 interview, Tschentscher discussed whether he would continue in office beyond 2030, the year of the next regular Hamburg state election, and criticized the CDU opposition leader Dennis Thering.<sup>[7](https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article413148931/bald-rekord-buergermeister-macht-peter-tschentscher-auch-nach-2030-weiter.html)</sup> Thering congratulated Tschentscher on his 2025 re-election and wished him a fortunate hand in meeting the city's challenges.<sup>[1](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Tschentscher erneut zu Hamburgs Bürgermeister gewählt – Überraschung bei Abstimmung](https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/politik/tschentscher-erneut-zu-hamburgs-buergermeister-gewaehlt-ueberraschung-bei-abstimmung/526320)\n2. [Hamburg: SPD-Politiker Tschentscher als Regierungschef gewählt](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Hamburg-SPD-Politiker-Tschentscher-als-Regierungschef-gewaehlt-article25752454.html)\n3. [Tschentscher als Erster Bürgermeister Hamburgs wiedergewählt](https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-05/65329812-tschentscher-als-erster-buermeister-hamburgs-wiedergewaehlt-016.htm)\n4. [Hamburg-News: Tschentscher zweifelt an Vollendung des Elbtowers](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article413124881/hamburg-news-tschentscher-zweifelt-an-vollendung-des-elbtowers.html)\n5. [Die Oper ist ein Jahrhundertprojekt](https://www.abendblatt.de/podcast/article411330728/die-oper-ist-ein-jahrhundertprojekt.html)\n6. [Bürgermeister Tschentscher: „Gasnetz wird sicher irgendwann abgeschaltet“](https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article413127862/buergermeister-tschentscher-das-gasnetz-wird-sicher-irgendwann-abgeschaltet.html)\n7. [Bald Rekord-Bürgermeister: Macht Peter Tschentscher auch nach 2030 weiter?](https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article413148931/bald-rekord-buergermeister-macht-peter-tschentscher-auch-nach-2030-weiter.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › Western European politicians › Politicians since 1945 › Regional and city leaders*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "speakable": "Peter Tschentscher is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party who has led Hamburg as First Mayor since 2018 and was re-elected in May 2025."
}