Will the AfD soon appoint a second district administrator after Sonneberg? This would be conceivable in the Saale-Orla district. Critics warn about candidate Thrum.
Jena – Die AfD could become the second district administrator in Thuringia after the runoff election in Saale-Orla – Uwe Thrum could also become the second AfD man to hold a district administrator position nationwide. The first Thuringian AfD district administrator is Robert Sesselmann in Sonneberg.
Thrum is a member of the Thuringian state parliament. The election is also considered the first test of sentiment for the Thuringian super election year of 2024. In the run-up to the Saale-Orla election, there was protest from civil society against Thrum's candidacy.
Runoff election in Saale-Orla: Criticism of AfD candidate Thrum
People are also alarmed at the Buchenwald Memorial. “We had to get involved in Nordhausen because of the historical revisionist attitudes of the AfD candidate in the mayoral election, which we had researched,” said their employee Rikola-Gunnar Lüttgenau IPPEN.MEDIA. In Nordhausen, the AfD man lost the mayoral election.
But Thrum is different from Jörg Prophet (AfD candidate in the mayoral runoff election in Nordhausen, Thuringia), said Lüttgenau. With him you don't have to do any laborious research. “He has been radicalizing himself as a street agitator since 2015 and is now surrounding himself with enemies of the state from the citizens of the Reich.”
Saale-Orla in Thuringia: Concerns about possible AfD victory
“The racist social climate is getting worse,” reported David Rolfs, consultant at “ezra”, the advice center for those affected by right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence in Thuringia. The advice center observes that the number of advice cases is increasing in the Sonneberg district, which is already run by the AfD. While in 2022 there were four people who received advice about right-wing violence, in 2023 the violence victim counseling center counted cases in the double-digit range.
“At the same time, we observe that the prosecution of right-wing violence is repeatedly delayed or does not take place at all. Of course, this has a strong impact on the sense of security of those affected. Many no longer want to go public with their experiences, for example in the case of refugees for fear of suffering further disadvantages in terms of their residence permit or accommodation,” said Rolfs.
After the Potsdam meeting, debate about the AfD ban flares up
The AfD with state leader Björn Höcke is classified and monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the Free State of Thuringia as proven right-wing extremist. The district election in Saale Orla came in the middle of the flaring discussion about a ban on the AfD after a meeting of right-wing radicals in Potsdam, about which the media company Corrective had reported. AfD politicians were also among the participants.
Not just in Thuringia: AfD is experiencing a poll high before the eastern elections
In Thuringia this year, in addition to the local elections, there are also the European elections and the state elections. There will also be state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg in the fall. The AfD is well ahead in polls in all three countries. This also applies to national surveys.
“Super election year” in Thuringia: More than 3,400 actors form an alliance
More than 3,400 actors in Thuringia have come together to form the “Cosmopolitan Thuringia” initiative, including cities, associations, companies and individuals. Top representatives from the trade unions, the church, sport, welfare associations, art and culture and science also took part in an initial networking meeting. (frs with dpa)
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