FDP Norderney: Alina, please introduce yourself briefly.

My name is Alina Kleemann, I am 34 years old and grew up on Norderney. After my school years on the island and completing my Abitur at the Esens boarding school, I studied architecture at the msa Münster and successfully completed my Bachelor and Master of Arts. Professionally, I work as an architect and construction manager in our family business. In addition, I run the catering businesses Fischgeniesserei and Bootshaus Norderney together with my brother Janis, as well as the apartment management and rental service Urlaubsgeniesserei Norderney. Alongside my professional activities, I am involved in the Rotary Club Norderney and am a board member of the Reitclub Norderney. In my spare time, my passion is dressage and Hanoverian horse breeding.

FDP Norderney: What is your central local political issue?

Alina Kleemann: My central issue is construction and planning policy with a clear focus on the future. In my opinion, how the course is set in this area is the key factor for how Norderney can develop in the future. I see every day the impact that previous developments have had on the islanders, and from my point of view, something urgently needs to change here. The established structure of permanent residences, holiday apartments, and second homes – whether as rental or owner-occupied properties – has its justification and is a fundamental basis for the attractiveness of our island. Sometimes I have the feeling that people forget that tourism is the livelihood for all of us. Permanent living and working on the island and the temporary residence of our guests form a symbiosis. Both can only work together if life on Norderney is considered in its entirety and further developed with professional expertise and a future-oriented approach.

FDP Norderney: In your opinion, is the topic of permanent residency and tourism framed too much as a conflict of opposites?

Alina Kleemann: Yes, clearly. People think in extremes far too often. Especially in the housing debate, we frequently see black-and-white thinking. The idea that many things can only work together has increasingly been lost in recent years – and that does not help our island community. The generalized stigmatization of holiday apartments and the simultaneous idealization of permanent residences should certainly be questioned critically, and predefined statements should not simply be accepted without scrutiny. Tourism is, directly or indirectly, the livelihood for every single one of us. Of course, clear frameworks are needed, but these should build on the experiences of the past and be further developed with a visionary eye on the future.

FDP Norderney: From your perspective, is the topic of construction policy viewed too ideologically?

Alina Kleemann: Not necessarily. Perhaps the whole issue is viewed with too little foresight. I can certainly understand that, because the topic of building and housing is extremely multifaceted and complex. Often, the consequences of past decisions only become noticeable when you are personally affected. The goal must be to create affordable housing while simultaneously giving (young) Norderney residents the opportunity to gain a foothold on the island and build their own existence. This cannot be achieved through ever-new bans, requirements, and regulations.

In the entire debate, it is often forgotten that many owners are not speculators, but islanders, families, tradespeople, or entrepreneurs who have built something up over decades. Furthermore, there has been no reliable analysis of the actual number of holiday apartments, second homes, rental apartments, or guest beds to date. How can one make significant decisions if one doesn't even know exactly what data basis is being discussed?

FDP Norderney: Why are you running for the Norderney City Council?

Alina Kleemann: Because construction policy on Norderney urgently needs more practical relevance and transparency. Many islanders do not know what specific impact decisions about development plans, statutes, and requirements have on their families, businesses, plots of land, or buildings. That is understandable, but it is unfair and non-transparent. A gap is increasingly opening up between political planning and the reality on the island. That is where I want to contribute my professional experience and help achieve more clarity and better development opportunities.

FDP Norderney: What is your agenda for the next legislative period?

Alina Kleemann: First and foremost, we must create clarity and know what we are actually debating here. We need sound analyses and reliable figures. Holiday apartments are an important part of our island's tourism infrastructure and an economic foundation for many Norderney residents. I am in favor of clear frameworks, but we must enable more and regulate less. Our federal and state building laws are already extensive enough. Local politics should provide order, create perspectives, and protect existing livelihoods – not build additional hurdles or prevent development.

FDP Norderney: Your most important message?

Alina Kleemann: Norderney needs a construction policy that enables rather than prevents. We must create housing without weakening the economic foundation of our island. I want to work to ensure that Norderney remains economically stable – with a sense of proportion, fairness, respect for property, and a clear view of the reality of our island. It is a matter close to my heart to further develop Norderney as an attractive place to live and stay for the future. Young people should have the chance to gain a foothold on Norderney, both privately and professionally. For that, we need a construction policy that supports, opens up perspectives, and makes the future possible.