Removed AfD candidate by Ludwigshafen's mayor from the elections
Joachim Paul, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate for mayor of Ludwigshafen, Germany, has been officially barred from running in the September 21, 2021, mayoral election. This decision was made by the election committee, chaired by Jutta Steinruck, the outgoing mayor and former SPD MP, after concerns were raised about Paul's loyalty to the German constitution.
The controversy began when Steinruck sent a letter to the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister, Michael Ebeling, expressing her doubts about Paul's constitutional loyalty. The Interior Ministry responded with an 11-page report detailing alleged problematic contacts and statements by Paul, which included ties to right-wing figures such as Martin Sellner of the Identitarian movement.
The election committee, composed of members from SPD, CDU, FDP, and others but not AfD, voted 6-1 to bar Paul from the race. Paul's subsequent legal challenge was dismissed by the administrative court, which upheld the ban and stated that a review of the exclusion could only happen after the election.
Joachim Paul has decried the decision as undemocratic and plans to appeal. As of the latest update in August 2021, Paul remains barred from the ballot, and the court ruling prevents his immediate reinstatement as a candidate. The election will proceed without him, with other candidates from SPD, CDU, FDP, and a left-wing party running instead.
It is worth noting that Steinruck requested the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Ministry to deliver incriminating material about Paul by July 31, 2025. However, the deadline for the delivery of this material is set in 2025. If no "objective evidence/verification results" are available by then, Steinruck will have to submit Paul's candidacy for approval to the election committee.
The complete complaint filed by Joachim Paul will be reported exclusively by JUNGEN FREIHEIT on Monday. The constitutional protection agency and the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Ministry have been instrumental in removing Paul from the race, although the specific details of their involvement are yet to be fully disclosed.
Despite not running for re-election, Steinruck continues to chair the election committee, overseeing the process that led to Paul's exclusion. The mayoral election committee in Ludwigshafen has not yet approved Paul's candidacy due to the ongoing legal proceedings.
[1] Local News Source 1 [2] Local News Source 2 [3] National News Source 1 [4] National News Source 2 [5] Legal Document
Read also:
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
- Court petitions to reverse established decision on same-sex marriage legalization
- Independence supporters in New Caledonia refuse agreement offering authority without a vote on sovereignty
- Proposed Standardization of Food Labeling Laws Among Member States by the Commission
