The Munich Pink List has, on Monday, at Café Regenbogen—hosted by Munich’s AIDS Help—finalized its City Council slate for the March 8, 2026 election. One name is missing there: 64-year-old Thomas Niederbühl, who has sat on the City Council since 1996 representing the queer voters’ initiative, will not run again.
Instead, 57-year-old Bernd Müller will step in as the top candidate. Müller, like Niederbühl, has been involved with the Rosa Liste since its founding in 1989 and is a recognizable figure in Munich’s scene: he has long worked for Munich AIDS Help and serves as the senior editor of the queer city magazine “Leo.”
Since 1996 on the City Council
The Rosa Liste made history in 1996 when Europe’s first candidate from a queer voters’ coalition won a seat in a city council—and since then has managed to defend that seat with vote shares of roughly one to two percent. In the City Council, the Rosa Liste has formed a parliamentary group with the Greens. The Greens and the Rosa Liste currently constitute the largest council faction, governing in a coalition with the third-largest faction, SPD/Volt. The current coalition agreement even includes a dedicated chapter on the topic of “Queer Munich.”
Despite the personnel change, the Rosa Liste’s policy direction is not expected to shift much. Müller plans to continue working with the Greens, the “natural coalition partner.” Niederbühl will, even after stepping down, continue to support the voter-initiative he co-founded.
Diverse, Strong Team
“I’m very pleased to have such a diverse, strong team by my side and I’m confident that with them we will win a seat on Munich’s City Council,” Müller said after his selection. Publicly, the Rosa Liste is presenting the top five candidates. In second place on the slate is dentist and trans activist Patricia Schüttler. The quintet also includes Jule Rönitz, Sabrina “Brini” Berndt, and Andreas Klose. In total, the Rosa Liste fielded 61 candidates.
Posted by Thomas Niederbühl on Monday, October 13, 2025
Facebook / Thomas Niederbühl
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Just now, Müller argued, a strong Rosa Liste is essential: “In an era of a resurgent political right and growing attacks on LGBTQ+ people, we need to show our colors, stand strong, and be visible,” he urged. “The Rosa Liste is the queer voice for LGBTQ+ and stands for a diverse, open Munich for all residents of Munich.” The movement’s motto reads: “More pink does good for EVERYONE!” (dk)
