Municipal election proceedings in Ludwigshafen deny Paul's urgent plea - Ludwigshafen's OB Election Decision Upheld as Paul's Urgent Plea Dismissed by Court
The Administrative Court of Neustadt/Weinstraße has dismissed an urgent complaint by Joachim Paul, an AfD politician, against his exclusion from the mayoral election in Ludwigshafen. The court ruled on August 18, 2025, that Paul's challenge was inadmissible due to the fact that a candidate can only request a review of the election after it has taken place, not before.
The election committee of Ludwigshafen, comprising mostly members from parties other than Paul’s AfD, voted 6 to 1 on August 5, 2025, to exclude him. The decision was based on recommendations from the Rhineland-Palatinate State interior ministry, which expressed concerns about Paul’s associations with far-right activists and statements that raised questions about his allegiance to Germany’s constitutional order.
Current Ludwigshafen mayor and election committee chair Jutta Steinruck, formerly of the SPD, played a significant role in the decision. She sought an assessment from the state’s constitutional protection office regarding Paul’s candidacy and was found to have had contact with left-wing activist groups opposing his participation. This highlights the political tensions surrounding Paul’s exclusion.
The Administrative Court confirmed the legality of the election committee’s exclusion of Joachim Paul due to concerns about his loyalty to the German Constitution. However, the court suggested that it would be better for the consistency of elections if the former candidate were to await the outcome of an election challenge procedure after the disputed election has taken place, rather than seeking a provisional admission as a candidate.
The mayoral election in Ludwigshafen, the second-largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate, is scheduled to take place on September 21. An appeal against the decision can be filed with the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate within two weeks of service. The court's decision does not affect the upcoming election.
[1] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-kandidat-joachim-paul-ausgeschlossen-von-wahlkampf-a-1289514.html [2] https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/wahlkampf-in-ludwigshafen-afd-kandidat-joachim-paul-ausgeschlossen-1.5566568 [3] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/afd-kandidat-joachim-paul-ausgeschlossen-von-wahlkampf-in-ludwigshafen/27311610.html [4] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-08/ludwigshafen-wahl-afd-kandidat-joachim-paul-ausgeschlossen
- The court's decision to uphold Joachim Paul's exclusion from the mayoral election in Ludwigshafen has sparked debates about regional development, community aid, and policy-and-legislation, as it raises questions about the role of politics in shaping election outcomes.
- Amid the general-news coverage of the mayoral election in Ludwigshafen, the dismissal of Paul's urgent complaint by the Administrative Court has shed light on the intricacies of regional development, with concerns about his associations and allegiance being a critical factor in the election committee's decision.
