This month, Ryyan Alshebl, a former Syrian refugee who fled the Syrian civil war, was elected mayor of a small town in southwestern Germany. Alshebl arrived in Germany eight years ago without knowing how to speak German. He was forced to choose between military service in Syria or leaving the country, so he chose to leave the country. Today, at age 29, he is fluent in German. As a Syrian refugee, he benefited from former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s choice to open Germany to more asylum-seekers. After his arrival in Germany, Alshebl began an apprenticeship in city administration in another German town. There, he was encouraged to run for mayor.

His town, Ostelsheim, elected him with 55.4% of the vote. As a result, he beat out two other independent candidates. All of the candidates for the position this year were not affiliated with a political party. His supporters view his win as a win for diversity in Germany, where far-right political groups have been gaining popularity and neo-Nazi gatherings have become more popular. Manne Lucha, the integration minister in the German state where Ostelheim is located, Baden-Württemberg, has stated that he hopes the election of Alshebl encourages more people who have migrated to Germany to run for a political position.

This article provides a good overview of the life story of Ryyan Alshebl mayor in Germany. As a result, readers can better understand the importance of his election.