US President Donald Trump will not become an honorary citizen of Rhineland-Palatinate. The district council in Bad Dürkheim, Palatinate, rejected a corresponding request from the AfD after intensive debate.
The party justified its application, among other things, with Trump’s ancestors, who come from Kallstadt in the Bad Dürkheim district, and with his role as a mediator in the Middle East. Honorary citizenship would also be a sign of the friendly connection between Rhineland-Palatinate and America.
Trump’s grandfather Friedrich grew up in Kallstadt before he emigrated to the USA in 1885.
Not an outstanding commitment to the common good
The reason given by Bad Dürkheim’s district administrator Hans-Ulrich Ihlenfeld (CDU) and several speakers for rejecting the application was that the US President had very little connection to the district. The appointment as an honorary citizen would only honor Trump’s overarching political actions, but not his commitment to the district.
However, the prerequisite for such an award would be an outstanding commitment to the common good in the region over a longer period of time. But that is not the case. According to the information, there are currently no honorary citizens in Bad Dürkheim.
