Order is a must

This is why Schumacher will not become an honorary citizen of Kerpen!

A curious twist in the case of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher being denied honorary citizenship in his home town of Kerpen in Germany: the mayor of the town of 67,000 inhabitants has now admitted that the town simply does not have an honorary citizenship ordinance and therefore cannot formally confer honorary citizenship! And the city council would first have to draw up a code of honor - there has to be order ...

As "Bild" learned from Kerpen town hall, it was decided at a council meeting on March 19, 2024, "to first coordinate among the political groups whether honorary citizenship should be introduced". Since then, the matter seems to have been put on hold ...

"Performance is apparently no longer important!"
And it would probably have remained dormant if Michael Schumacher's brother Ralf had not recently used social media to criticize the politics in his and his brother's home town. "That's typical of Germany and our politics. Nothing surprises me anymore with the SPD," Ralf Schumacher grumbled. "Performance is apparently no longer important."

Michael Schumacher drove in Formula 1 from 1991 to 2006 - and rose to become an absolute legend. Together with Lewis Hamilton, the German holds the impressive record of seven world championship titles. "When you think about what my brother has done for Kerpen through his success, I'm simply lost for words," says brother Ralf, shaking his head.

"Where do you start with honorary citizenships?"
Ralf Schumacher shouldn't hold out much hope of changing the politicians' minds, as the various words he has heard indicate a corresponding reluctance. SPD member Andreas Lipp, for example, told the Kölner Stadt Anzeiger newspaper that it "makes no sense at the moment" and that the city "simply has other construction sites". And the Green Party's Peter Abels added: "Where do you start with honorary citizenships and where do you end?"