The recent triumph of the AfD in a mayoral election has set alarms ringing among various parties and associations in Germany. Markus Lewe, the president of the Association of German Cities, voiced his concerns in Berlin, stating that the outcome was alarming for them. Lewe acknowledges the frustration and disillusionment among citizens tired of political discussions and crises, urging the need to address their concerns to prevent support for extremist parties.
The AfD's first major victory in a nationwide mayoral election came in Pirna, with candidate Tim Lochner clinching the win against CDU's Kathrin Dollinger-Knuth and the independent Ralf Thiele, who ran for the Free Voters in the second round. Lochner, an independent, distanced himself from the AfD, though their state association in Saxony had been classified as a right-wing extremist organization by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster from the CDU called the election outcome "respectable," acknowledging the will of Pirna's voters. However, Left Party's parliamentary group leader Rico Gebhardt saw a "black day," claiming that voters deliberately choose extreme parties, despite their classification as right-wing extremist.
The International Auschwitz Committee harked back to Pirna's history as a site of euthanasia crimes, urging all democratic representatives to learn from the election's outcome. Perhaps the most significant blowback came from the Free Voters, who criticized the CDU for their approach in the election, potentially aiding the AfD's victory.
The CDU's defeated candidate, Dollinger-Knuth, expressed acceptance of the outcome while underscoring the need to respect the will of independent voters, who effectively paved the way for an AfD victory.
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