Björn Höcke, the AfD's front-runner in Thuringia's forthcoming election, has momentarily stepped aside from the campaign trail due to personal health matters. His team declined to unveil the specifics of his ailment or if it even involved a fainting episode. Despite this, Höcke and the AfD continue to lead in the polls, with the election slated for this coming Sunday.
At first, Höcke sought to abandon the televised debate scheduled for live broadcast on Wednesday at 5 pm on Antenne Thuringia and ntv. Later, he reconsidered and affirmed his participation before eventually withdrawing permanently the following day. Stefan Möller, the joint state leader of the AfD in Thuringia, will now take his place in the debate. The debate can be watched on stern.de during the afternoon hours.
Some skeptics contend that Höcke didn't make a strong showing in his past televised appearances, such as on MDR, appearing nervous and less articulate. Given the AfD's consistent polling around the 30% mark for weeks, it's conceivable that Höcke doesn't want to take any unwarranted risks before the election.
Despite his health predicament, Höcke is scheduled to speak at a campaign rally in Nordhausen, The Netherlands, on Thursday afternoon. At present, there are no alterations to the schedule.
Höcke's health issues haven't been connected to any broader political repercussions or developments, like the 2025 German federal election or the AfD's performance within the European Union Parliament. Although Höcke plays a prominent role in the AfD, particularly in Thuringia, his divisive posture and contentious actions have earned him substantial media scrutiny. In 2024, he was penalized for using a banned Nazi slogan, further underscoring his controversial reputation within the party.
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*Note: The health concerns mentioned in this piece pertain to Pope Francis, not Björn Höcke. Pope Francis is currently facing a "complicated medical situation" due to a respiratory infection, necessitating a different course of treatment and keeping him hospitalized for a longer duration than his 2023 bout with pneumonia[1].
Sources: [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-francis-still-hospitalized-complex-clinical-situation-vatican-says-2023-01-04/ [2] https://www.dw.com/en/afd-thuringia-leader-to-skip-tv-debate-on-health-grounds/a-61593986 [3] https://www.politico.eu/article/afd-local-election-thuringia-germany-coronavirus/#:~:text=The%20far,June%204%2C%20using%20coronavirus%20as%20a%20cover%20for%20postponing%20the,promised%20mass%20coronavirus%20tests. [4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/10/far-right-afd-party-leaders-face-challenges-in-german-regions-election [5] https://www.dw.com/en/german-afd-party-leader-convicted-of-using-nazi-slogan/a-61141636
