Thuringians choose local assemblies: precursor to state voting.
The Thuringian Ministry of the Interior oversees various decisions such as selecting district council members and city/municipal council representatives. In addition, voting occurs in 13 out of 17 districts to elect district administrators. Most recently, the AfD won their first district administrator position nationally in the Thuringian district of Sonneberg in June last year.
This weekend, newly elected mayors will be chosen for the independent cities of Erfurt, Jena, Gera, Suhl, and Weimar, as well as in the city of Eisenach. Plus, multiple mayoral seats will be filled within the state. Approximately 7,500 local parliament positions are up for grabs.
As the AfD has strong roots in some areas, there is much anticipation around their performance during these elections. These local elections are also considered a measure of the general sentiment for the upcoming Thuringia state elections on September 1. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which aims to enter the state parliament in the fall, is taking part in these local elections for the very first time. According to the State Statistical Office, the BSW is nominating candidates for the district and municipal council elections.
Eligible voters include all Thuringians aged 16 and beyond. Tentative preliminary results are expected by Monday night, with certainty of the result available on Monday at the earliest. In the event of no majority, the necessary run-off elections will coincide with the European elections on June 9.
In 2018, the CDU secured the top spot in the Thuringian local elections. They gained 37.9% in the district administrator and mayor elections and also emerged as the leading party in the mayoral elections for towns and municipalities placed within their respective districts. Contrastingly, the left, SPD, and Greens — currently governing without a parliamentary majority — experienced losses.
While the AfD scored 10.2% in 2018, their state association headed by far-right leader Björn Höcke has gained significant traction. The far-right classification from the Thuringia Office for the Protection of the Constitution is applicable to them. In the October 2019 state elections, the AfD attained the position of the second strongest party with over 23%, and in the most recent polls, they scored around 30% in anticipation for the upcoming election.
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Source: www.stern.de
