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Ludwigshafen, a city often described as a symbol of deindustrialization and social decay, has found itself at the centre of a political storm. The controversial exclusion of Joachim Paul, an AfD politician, from the mayoral election in September 2025 has raised allegations of power politics and silencing opposition voices.
In his latest column titled "My World, My Opinion" on Welt News Channel, media scientist Norbert Bolz has expressed concerns over the exclusion of Joachim Paul from the election. According to Bolz, this incident reflects a pattern where political opponents may be systematically neutralized before elections, without the necessity of a majority.
The municipal electoral committee, chaired by the acting mayor Jutta Steinruck, banned Paul from running in the election based on a dossier from the Verfassungsschutz, the German domestic intelligence service. The report alleged that Paul lacked the necessary constitutional loyalty to participate in the election. This exclusion was not the result of judicial or voter action but of political authorities wielding administrative power.
Bolz claims that the exclusion of Paul is part of a pattern to silence opposition without a majority. He argues that this is undemocratic power politics, as it undermines the principles of democratic pluralism and freedom of speech. The media scientist highlights that such actions could fuel debates about democratic norms and the limits of political pluralism in Germany, especially concerning the AfD, which is often marginalized through such administrative mechanisms rather than electoral defeat.
The controversy surrounding Paul has been fuelled by the controversial nature of his exclusion. Many see it as politically motivated censorship rather than a neutral legal judgment. The dossier cited examples of Paul documenting social issues in Ludwigshafen’s Hemshaf district, attributing problems partially to migration and economic dependence on the state. These statements were used as evidence against his constitutional loyalty, reinforcing the controversy.
The AfD's rise in Ludwigshafen is described as a form of "self-defense" against decades of political neglect. The party's popularity in the city is seen as a response to the perceived lack of attention and resources allocated to Ludwigshafen by the established political parties.
In summary, the exclusion of Joachim Paul from the Ludwigshafen mayoral race amid allegations of extremism and unconstitutional loyalty exemplifies a political conflict involving the use of state institutions to silence opposition without a clear majority. Media scientist Norbert Bolz and others criticize this as undemocratic power politics, raising concerns about democratic norms and the limits of political pluralism in Germany.
- In his latest piece on Welt News Channel, Norbert Bolz, a media scientist, has expressed his fears that the exclusion of Joachim Paul from the Ludwigshafen mayoral election is indicative of a larger pattern in politics, where political opponents are systematically neutralized before elections, without requiring a majority.
- The exclusion of Joachim Paul, an AfD politician, from the Ludwigshafen mayoral election has been met with criticism, with some viewing it as a form of politically motivated censorship rather than a neutral legal judgement, and as a worrying example of undemocratic power politics undermining democratic pluralism and freedom of speech in Germany.
