Perhaps it's different in USA due to different salary policies, but in European academia it sometimes happens that some of the leading positions are not actually that desirable, as you'll just sacrifice your scientific work (which you presumably love) to get bogged down with administrative duties instead. Like, our leadership roles are generally elected, so we can pick any one of us if we're unhappy with what the administration does, but I have seen this resulting even in literally drawing straws to choose who will apply to be the only candidate to be the head of an (sub)organization, because it's clear to everybody that we have to choose somebody to do it, but no one wants to be that one despite it technically being a promotion with slightly higher compensation. Perhaps rector is the role where this isn't relevant, since there you have multiple candidates who have already "sacrificed their life" to administration, but it can be the case for others.
There's a lot of focus on the scumminess of that one person, but there is no mention of why only one villain has thrown his hat into that ring.
It is one of the oldest universities in this world, and it deserves better...