Title: Victory in OB Elections Boosts AfD's Confidence for 2024 Elections in Saxony
With an emphatic win in the mayoral election in Pirna, the AfD is bolstered for the election year 2024 in Saxony. Saxony's AfD leader Jörg Urban told the German Press Agency, "We aim to win in Saxony, and we aim to win clear, aiming to get close to 40 percent. It's a steep uphill battle for our party for next year." The AfD clearly demonstrated its capabilities, toppling the CDU and Free Voters with a substantial lead.
A new state parliament will be elected in Saxony on September 1, 2024, and local and European elections are already scheduled for June. Currently, the coalition of the CDU, Greens, and SPD, led by Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU), governs Saxony. In a poll published at the start of December, the AfD shared equal footing with the CDU at 33%.
Tim Lochner, an independent candidate, won the mayoral election in Pirna on Sunday by a landslide, representing the AfD. The 53-year-old master carpenter and restorer defeated opponents from the CDU and Free Voters in the second round of voting. Lochner, who is not a party member but ran with their backing, garnered 38.5% of the votes, while Kathrin Dollinger-Knuth (CDU) and Ralf Thiele (Free Voters) received 31.4% and 30.1% respectively. Voter turnout reached 53.8%.
This isn't the first time the AfD has tasted victory in local political offices. In June, Robert Sesselmann emerged victorious as the first AfD district council member in Sonneberg (Thuringia). In August, Hannes Loth became the first mayoral candidate to win for the AfD in a German municipality, becoming the mayor of Raguhn-Jeßnitz (Saxony-Anhalt). The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the Saxon AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist movement, but this did not deter Lochner from representing the party in the town hall.
Alice Weidel, the AfD federal leader, expressed her satisfaction on the X platform, "Congratulations to Pirna!" The SPD, along with the Greens and Left Party, had endorsed Kathrin Dollinger-Knuth in the second round of Pirna's mayoral election. However, she still fell short of victory, with Dollinger-Knuth acknowledging the "unfortunate" outcome of the voters' decision.
The AfD will aim to replicate its success in the upcoming European election, under the watchful eyes of its party leaders, including Jörg Urban, who is looking forward to 2024 with confidence.
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