Overview

• SPD councilor Nikolaus Gradl has resigned from both the SPD party and the SPD/Volt faction in Munich’s city council, effective April 28, 2025.
• The green-red coalition’s majority in the council has been reduced to a slim two-vote margin, including the vote of Mayor Dieter Reiter.
• SPD leadership, led by Christian Köning, has called on Gradl to relinquish his council mandate, citing the need to respect voter intent.
• Gradl has expressed dissatisfaction with delays in key city projects, such as the Gasteig cultural center renovation and public transit expansion, but did not provide a specific reason for his resignation.
• This follows other recent defections, including Green and Free Voters councilors joining the CSU, further destabilizing the coalition ahead of next year’s municipal elections.