Personal electoral defeat Why Höcke is a loser despite AfD victory
The far-right AfD achieves successes in the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. However, top candidate Björn Höcke loses in his own constituency and can only stay in parliament thanks to a trick.
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- The AfD, classified by the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution as "definitely right-wing extremist", is the strongest party in the state elections in Thuringia.
- However, top candidate Björn Höcke missed out on entering the state parliament as a direct candidate.
- The far-right politician only enters the state parliament thanks to an internal party trick.
- The AfD sees the election result as a mandate to govern, but no other party wants to work with the right-wing extremists.
The state election in Thuringia dominated the headlines around the world on Monday. The New York Times warns of "worrying signs for democracy in Germany", British media draw comparisons with the Second World War and in Italy there is talk of an "earthquake that will change history".
But while the world swallows empty and Björn Höcke, party and parliamentary group leader of the AfD in Thuringia, celebrates at an election party in Erfurt, the far-right politician actually suffers a personal election defeat at the weekend. In his own constituency, Höcke was defeated by CDU candidate Christian Tischner.
Party-internal state parliament trick
Höcke had spent a long time looking for a promising constituency that would vote for him - after losing to the CDU in the Eichsfeld district of Thuringia in the state parliament elections five years ago. However, Höcke also lost in his new constituency, Greiz II (38.9 percent) as a direct candidate for the state parliament. Christian Tischner from the CDU received the most votes (43.0 percent).
The loser Höcke obviously saw his personal defeat coming. He only managed to secure his place in the state parliament despite the election defeat by means of an apparently prepared internal party trick.
In the two constituencies dominated by the AfD, Wartburgkreis I and Wartburgkreis II, the far-right party did not put forward any direct candidates. According to the newspaper "Bild", these would have been available, but Höcke, as state leader of the AfD, is said to have refused to provide the signatures required for the candidacy of the two candidates.
The reason: in the event of a feared defeat in his own constituency, Höcke would be able to secure his seat in the state parliament via the state list.
And so it came to pass. The AfD won 31 direct mandates at the weekend, but is entitled to 32 seats. If the AfD had put forward candidates in the Wartburg district, Höcke would have been kicked out of the state parliament after his defeat in the Greiz II constituency.
Successful, but lonely
In addition to the personal election defeat, Höcke is also facing defeat in terms of forming a government. The AfD sees the election result as a mandate to form a government and, according to Höcke, is prepared to "take on government responsibility" and invite people to talks after consultation. However, the result is foreseeable: None of the other parties represented in the state parliament want to work with the far-right.
Not even the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new party founded in January, which immediately achieved more than 15 percent of the vote in the state elections in Thuringia and just under 12 percent in Saxony. The BSW, which is still working on a complete party program, has a lot in common with the AfD in terms of content.
However, as most of the founding members, including the party's namesake, previously belonged to Die Linke, a coalition with the AfD is very difficult to imagine.
Wagenknecht herself confirmed this: "Höcke represents a völkisch world view, so that's miles away from us," the politician told ARD television on election night. "We have always said that we cannot work with Mr. Höcke."
The CDU/CSU also clearly refrains from working together. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said after the elections in Thuringia: "This is already a turning point. Even if the polls have indicated this: When the election result becomes real, then you first feel what has changed in Germany."
Söder went on to say that it would normally be completely unimaginable for the CDU/CSU to work with the Left or the BSW. "But the unimaginable became a democratic reality yesterday."
