Host Nation Update, Jan. 15, 2026
Lord Mayor’s Election in Böblingen – These six candidates want to become mayor
It is now clear who will be running in the election on January 25: Six people are on the ballot for the Böblingen mayoral election. The mystery surrounding the sixth candidate has now been revealed.
It’s now official: on Sunday, January 25, 2026, six people will be running for election as the next mayor; five male candidates and one female candidate. This was announced by the city of Böblingen in a press release after the municipal election committee met in a public session on Friday. The committee officially approved all six candidates for election. The ballot will list the candidates in the order in which their applications were received; in the event of simultaneous receipt, the order was decided by lot.
At the top of the ballot is the incumbent mayor, Stefan Belz, who is running for re-election. In second place is perennial candidate Friedhild “Fridi” Miller, who has listed her occupation as family helper. Aleksandar Blazevski, a sales manager, was the third to throw his hat into the ring. Financial advisor Stefan Thien is listed in fourth place. Lucas Guimaraes de Macedo, a business IT specialist and human resources manager, and Werner Schneider, a graduate physicist, complete the field of candidates in fifth and sixth place. All six candidates have their primary residence in Böblingen.
Werner Schneider was the last to throw his hat into the ring
After the application deadline, the city only announced that another candidate had applied for the office, without naming him. This candidate is Werner Schneider, as has now been made public. He has since spoken to the press and outlined his election program. He wants to “use his entrepreneurial knowledge, experience, and ‘different way of thinking’ to ensure that Böblingen acts rather than reacts, thinks and acts proactively, so that we can improve in all areas, generate ideas, be a nucleus of innovation, and consistently exploit our potential.” In addition, he wants to keep spending and revenue under control and continue to drive forward a consistent digitalization strategy for the city.
Voters now have the opportunity to get to know the candidates better at two public candidate presentations. These will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Europasaal of the Kongresshalle and on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Festhalle in Dagersheim.
Traffic in Böblingen – Road closures in the Hulb industrial area
Work has begun on the expansion of the district heating network in Hanns-Klemm-Straße by Stadtwerke Böblingen. This has resulted in diversions and traffic disruptions.
Since Tuesday, January 13, Böblingen municipal utilities have been working on expanding the district heating network in Hanns-Klemm-Straße in the Hulb industrial area. The road is therefore completely closed between buildings 50-56 between Schickardstraße and Otto-Lilienthal-Straße until February 28. This has been announced by the city of Böblingen.
Motorists should therefore expect traffic disruptions in the industrial area, as two of the four entrances and exits are closed:
- Access via Hanns-Klemm-Straße (due to the district heating construction work described above)
- Access via Dornierstraße (due to the expansion of the A81 motorway by DEGES)
The city’s technical department has already made adjustments to the traffic light timing and is monitoring the situation together with the road traffic authority, according to Böblingen City Hall. The situation is being continuously reviewed to determine whether and how it can be improved.
The city administration points to the signposted diversions and asks citizens for their understanding. Why the construction project is happening now
According to the announcement, the district heating expansion cannot be delayed until the A81 expansion is complete. This is because the district heating expansion is bound by contracts concluded with end customers and consumers.
The expansion of the district heating network must be completed by the time Calwer Straße is upgraded, which is necessary for the new Flugfeldklinikum hospital to become operational. Access to Hulb (Hanns-Klemm-Straße / Schickardstraße) must be restored. This measure (expansion of Calwer Straße) is closely timed with the expansion of the A81 motorway and cannot be planned any differently, as the motorway expansion is complex. The city administration is in close consultation with all utility and waste disposal companies and infrastructure operators in order to coordinate the tight schedule as best as possible.
Weather – Up to 15 degrees Celsius – Spring-like weather expected in parts of Baden-Württemberg
The weather in the southwest continues to be changeable. While it will even be spring-like in southern Baden during the day, Saturday is likely to be rather cloudy. First umbrellas, then sunglasses: The German Weather Service (DWD) expects a changeable start to the day in the southwest, before it becomes downright spring-like in at least parts of B-W around noon.
According to the forecast, the day will start off mostly cloudy, with some rain in places. However, this is expected to clear up during the day and, according to meteorologists, it will gradually brighten up in Baden-Württemberg. Then the sun will come out in the southwest – and it will even be spring-like and mild in southern Baden. The DWD expects temperatures of up to 15 degrees Celsius around the Kaiserstuhl, while it will remain around 7 degrees Celsius on the Danube.
According to the DWD, fog may form in some places on Friday night. Temperatures will drop significantly, with lows between 5 and minus 4 degrees. Overall, a partly chilly night is expected.
According to the forecast, Friday will be partly cloudy and partly sunny, with no rain expected. In Ulm, it will remain rather cool at 5 degrees Celsius, while in the southern Upper Rhine region it will be mild again at 13 degrees Celsius. The weekend will start off cloudy, with widespread fog and high fog. According to the DWD, there is a chance of sunshine, especially in the higher elevations of the Black Forest and Swabian Alb, and later also in the greater Stuttgart area. Temperatures are expected to be slightly lower: between 0 degrees Celsius on the Danube and 8 degrees Celsius in the Markgräfler Land region.
Forecast for Baden-Württemberg – Cold winter drives heating costs up significantly
According to a forecast, consumers in the southwest should expect a 14.2 percent increase in costs. Colder winter, higher heating costs: According to a forecast, the increase will be highest in Baden-Württemberg in 2025. What does this mean for people’s wallets?
According to a forecast, people in Baden-Württemberg must prepare for significantly higher heating costs for the past year due to the cold winter. On average, 2025 was colder than 2024, which led to increased energy consumption, according to energy service provider Techem.
Of all the federal states, Baden-Württemberg will be the most affected. Consumers in the southwest can expect a cost increase of 14.2 percent.
The southwest also tops another ranking. Of 52 cities analyzed across Germany, Techem expects the largest cost increase in Karlsruhe. Here, an increase of 21 percent is to be expected. Stuttgart came in tenth place (up 11.8 percent) and Freiburg in twelfth place (up 11.5 percent). By way of comparison, Techem estimates that heating costs across Germany are likely to rise by an average of 8.6 percent compared to 2024. The comparison portal Verivox also expects a significant increase in heating costs for 2025.