Baden-Württemberg's AfD Taps Frohnmaier as Premier Candidate in 2026 Election
Far-right political party, AfD, selects Alexander Gauland as prospective Minister President candidate. - Far-right political party AfD has named Frohnmaier as their potential prime minister candidate.
Lively discussions were a thing of the past as the Baden-Württemberg AfD embraced consensus during their Heilbronn party meeting, voting 399-1 in favor of Markus Frohnmaier as their premier candidate for the upcoming 2026 state election.
With a focus on unity instead of power struggles, the state association presented their list of 60 representatives for the forthcoming election with surprising ease. The extraordinary meeting saw a smooth sailing process without competitive elections for the initial 19 positions and minimal questioning for candidates. Only for the 20th place did contestants square off.
Frohnmaier, a 34-year-old member of the Bundestag since 2017, serves as the co-founder of the "Junge Alternative," which recently dissolved. He has been considered a close confidant of AfD leader Alice Weidel. In the Bundestag, Frohnmaier acts as the deputy parliamentary group leader and spokesperson for foreign affairs, with aspirations to serve as Premier Minister for Baden-Württemberg. However, he won't be running for the state parliament or leading the party's state list, should he not be nominated as Premier Minister. If that's the case, he wants to continue contributing in the Bundestag.
The AfD's current polling is promising in Baden-Württemberg, with recent surveys suggesting the party could garner 19% of the vote and potentially come in third place behind the CDU and the Greens.
Uriel Sänze, state parliamentarian and co-party leader, took the top spot on the list with 276 yes votes and 95 no votes.
The unanimity displayed at this gathering is uncharacteristic for a state association that has been plagued with divisions for years. In the past, contentious arguments and power struggles were common during Southwest AfD party conferences. The turmoil and intrigue of the past seemed to dissipate at the very least in Heilbronn's "Harmonie" congress center, where there was no booing, no coup attempts, and limited access to the press.
Rumors of some critics of the current state leadership leaving the party or stepping back into the shadows might also be contributing to the current harmony within the AfD. Notable figures like transport politician Dirk Spaniel, who was seen as a powerful adversary of Alice Weidel and the current state leadership, are no longer part of the party.
Lastly, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution recently classified the AfD nationwide as a "confirmed extreme-rightist endeavor." The party is challenging this classification in court.
The state party in Baden-Württemberg is categorized as a suspected right-wing extremist case by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The party has filed multiple lawsuits against this classification but has yet to see success.
References:
- Persson, A. (2021). The AfD: Germany’s far-right party explained. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52468180
Keywords:
- AfD
- Baden-Württemberg
- State Election
- Heilbronn
- Party Meeting
- Bundestag
- Markus Frohnmaier
- Alice Weidel
- Southwest
- Emil Säcze
- Unity
- Power Struggles
The Commission, in the context of policy-and-legislation, may be asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment in the Community, given the ongoing discussions andpolitics surrounding the AFD's focus on unity instead of power struggles in the upcoming 2026 state election in Baden-Württemberg.
This shift towards unity within the AfD, as seen in the recent party meeting in Heilbronn, is a notable change from the general-news of past contentious arguments and power struggles that have characterized Southwest AfD party conferences.
