Emphasizes the necessity of a European Parliament and Council in the report
In the recent district council election held in Sonneberg, Thuringia, Robert Sesselmann, a representative of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, came close to becoming the first AfD county administrator. Sesselmann received 46.7% of the votes, just under the 47% required for an outright victory.
The election was unexpected due to the retirement of the 2018 elected district administrator, Hans-Peter Schmitz, who stepped down due to a long-term illness. Jürgen Köpper, an experienced district representative and the CDU candidate, received 35.7% of the votes in the preliminary result.
The AfD's bid for the Landrat position in Sonneberg is significant, reflecting the party's increasing efforts to gain influence in local government positions within Thuringia. The region has been a stronghold for the AfD, where the party has achieved relatively high vote shares. If successful, the AfD would be able to implement policies at the local level, increasing their practical governance experience and influence in the region.
Thomas Kemmerich, the Thuringia's FDP leader, expressed his support for Jürgen Köpper and stated that the election result was not good for the district of Sonneberg. Björn Höcke, the leader of the Thuringian AfD, celebrated Sesselmann's result on Twitter, while also expressing support for Köpper's opponent in the previous election.
Bodo Ramelow, the Minister President of Thuringia, expressed disappointment with the voter turnout of 49.1%. He stated that it was good if democrats now unite and local, export-oriented companies also speak out ahead of the runoff election scheduled for June 25. Ramelow also stated that international specialists might not be welcome if a signal were to go out from the region in the future that they are no longer welcome.
The Thuringian CDU leader, Mario Voigt, announced a heavy campaign for votes in the next two weeks for the CDU candidate, Jürgen Köpper. Thuringia's SPD leader, Georg Maier, campaigned for a vote for Köpper after the other candidates, Nancy Schwalbach (Greens) and Anja Schönheit (SPD), did not make it to the runoff.
It is worth noting that the Thuringian AfD is classified by the state constitutional protection office as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor and is under observation. Sesselmann is a member of the AfD and is running for the top position in the Sonneberg county administration for the second time.
Jürgen Köpper has been acting as the district administrator since March and has been running the affairs of the district for longer. Köpper is supported by Thomas Kemmerich, the FDP leader, and Georg Maier, the SPD leader, after the other candidates did not make it to the runoff.
This election result in Sonneberg is a significant development in the political landscape of Thuringia, indicating the growing influence of the AfD in local government positions. The runoff election on June 25 will determine the future of county administration in Sonneberg.
- The growing influence of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in local government positions, as seen in the Sonneberg district council election, raises important considerations for policy-and-legislation and crime-and-justice in the region, given the party's classification as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor by the state constitutional protection office.
- General-news outlets should monitor the runoff election scheduled for June 25 in Sonneberg closely, as the potential AfD victory could influence war-and-conflicts and politics in Thuringia, particularly with international specialists potentially facing increased scrutiny if a signal is sent that they are no longer welcome.
- As the runoff election approaches, politics in Thuringia will be dominated by discussions on policy-and-legislation and its implementation at the local level, as both the AfD and CDU candidates vying for the Sonneberg county administrator position seek to put their respective visions into action.
