The town of Wittelsheim, located in the Upper Rhine region of Alsace, is facing a period of political uncertainty. It was the first commune in the region to be taken over by the far-right National Rally party in March. Now, officials are dealing with the potential annulment of the recent election and a growing internal conflict within the local government. Six members of the ruling majority and five from the opposition are pushing to strip Mayor Raphaële Schober of some of her responsibilities, a proposal that was to be discussed in a municipal council meeting this week but was postponed. The move comes amid criticism of Schober’s leadership. First Deputy Mayor Nicolas Benoin, one of those challenging her, said the decision was not made lightly but was necessary after months of what he called a “small oligarchy” running the town hall and a lack of progress for the community. Former Mayor Yves Goepfert, who lost the election to Schober by just 17 votes, criticized her for being unable to listen to others and said she is “incapable of working as a team.” Schober, a former gendarme, has not responded to requests for comment from the news agency AFP. In a recent interview with the local newspaper L'Alsace, she said she would not address the criticisms through the press and expressed confusion about the backlash. The situation is now pending the decision of the Strasbourg administrative court, which is set to hear arguments on the validity of the election on September 29. The election is being contested by the Upper Rhine prefecture and Goepfert, who claim that three votes in favor of Goepfert were canceled without justification and that a right-wing list failed to properly indicate the Italian nationality of one of its candidates. Goepfert emphasized that his actions are not motivated by revenge and that he would not be the head of the list in a potential new election. Raphaële Schober, who won the first round of the election, benefited from the collapse of efforts to form a united republican front and the presence of four competing lists in the second round. Wittelsheim, a town of around 10,000 people near Mulhouse, is also known for hosting the Stocamine site, a former potash mine that has been converted into a facility for storing toxic waste. The final containment of the site has been the subject of numerous legal disputes, adding to the town’s complex political and environmental challenges.