Surprise in Thuringia's Elections - A neo-Nazi might become a local government official.
The member of the right-wing alliance Bündnis Zukunft Hildburghausen (BHZ) secured second place with a 24.9% share, which could earn him a spot in the runoff against Sven Gregor from the Free Voters (42.4%). If successful, he would become the first official Nazi county administrator!
Who is Tommy Frenck?
This individual, born in Thuringia, once served as the head of the NPD in the region. Since 2009, he has been representing the BHZ in the local council. He gained national recognition for organizing neo-Nazi concerts with the title "Rock against Foreign Infiltration." On his neck is a large tattoo that reads "Aryan," the English word for Aryans.
Since 2015, Frenck has run the Golden Lion inn in Kloster Veßra (300 residents), a popular destination for extremists across the country, according to the Constitution Protection Agency. The inn is decorated with significant Nazi symbolism.
The Schnitzelburger costs 18.88 euros, while the Schnitzel "Firestorm" costs 16.88 euros. In right-wing circles, the number 88 stands for the Nazi salute (H representing the eighth letter in the alphabet). The title of his cookbook is "The 88 Best Meat Dishes from the Reich."
Frenck also sells various Nazi paraphernalia on his website druck18 (18 referring to Adolf Hitler). An example of his products includes a T-shirt with the slogan "Tradition beats every trend" next to a man in an SA uniform. His autobiography, "Living in a free country?," is also available for purchase on the same site.
Criminal Record
Frenck is not limited to offensive statements; several years ago, he allegedly attacked someone with a beer bottle to the head, resulting in a conviction for dangerous bodily harm. Tax evasion is also recorded in his criminal history.
A more straightforward biography of Frenck can be found in the Thuringia Constitutional Protection Report published in 2022. It classified him as a "right-wing extremist." Over the years, the BHZ has evolved into "the primary neo-Nazi group in the Hildburghausen district." Frenck, on the hand, describes himself as a "regional politician, entrepreneur, innkeeper, and philanthropist."
Simply put, Frenck presents a humble persona, but he'd rather resurrect the Nazi Reich today than tomorrow.
The controversy surrounding his candidacy prior to the election drew criticism. Despite this, the election officer and two CDU representatives didn't see any issues with Frenck's candidacy. However, the Thuringian Municipal Election Law states that an individual cannot become a county administrator unless they "guarantee that they will always act in the interest of the free democratic basic order in accordance with the Basic Law and the state constitution."
This law is supposed to prevent potential Nazi sympathizers from holding these positions. Yet, some elected officials seemingly disregarded this requirement.
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Source: symclub.org
