Criticizes the omission of the AfD candidate in Ludwigshafen, according to Palmer
Joachim Paul, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate for mayor in Ludwigshafen, Germany, has been excluded from the upcoming mayoral election on August 5th, 2025. The decision was made by the local election committee, primarily due to concerns over his loyalty to Germany's constitutional democratic order.
The election committee, comprising representatives from various parties except the AfD, voted 6-1 to bar Paul from running. The decisive factor was doubts regarding his loyalty to the free democratic constitutional order of Germany, as outlined in the Basic Law. This loyalty is a requirement for candidacy in elected offices, especially ones such as mayor that carry significant political responsibility.
The Rhineland-Palatinate State Interior Ministry provided an 11-page detailed report to support their assessment, based on findings by the regional domestic intelligence agency. The report pointed to Paul's associations with right-wing extremist figures and statements deemed incompatible with constitutional loyalty.
Critics and Paul himself have denounced the decision as undemocratic and politically motivated. However, the local administrative court dismissed his appeal, upholding the decision for the sake of electoral stability. The court indicated that a review could only take place after the election, not beforehand.
The AfD came in second in the federal election in February in the Rhineland-Palatinate city, and Paul was expected to make it to the runoff. His exclusion has sparked controversy, with some viewing it as an attempt to eliminate a viable AfD candidate shortly before state elections.
Meanwhile, Boris Palmer, the Mayor of Tübingen, found it "remarkable" that there's barely any reporting on Paul's exclusion. In a Facebook post, Palmer questioned the legality of excluding an MP from an election with the expertise of honorary community councillors. He also expressed his doubts about deriving a ban from the intelligence service's statement.
Joachim Paul has filed an urgent application with the Administrative Court in Neustadt an der Weinstraße to be allowed to run in the election on September 21st. Whether the court will overturn the decision remains to be seen.
In a separate incident, another user in Palmer's post criticised the SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens for their attitude towards political dissenters, comparing it to the SED in GDR times. The user also labelled these parties as antidemocrats. Another user in Palmer's post accused an SPD member who marked a swastika on a ballot of lacking loyalty to the constitution.
The basis for Paul's exclusion was a constitution protection report that collected statements supposedly proving his right-wing extremism. Palmer fears that if Joachim Paul's ban is overturned, the AfD will win politically. He also sees the procedure as a harbinger of what a failed ban procedure in Karlsruhe could mean.
The outcome of Joachim Paul's appeal will be closely watched, not only in Ludwigshafen but across Germany, as it could set a precedent for future elections.
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