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Elected mayor thanks to voice of AfD man - SPD politician threatens to be excluded

2020-05-20T20:38:11.556Z


The SPD wants to avoid cooperation with the AfD under all circumstances. Therefore, a local politician should now be excluded. But it shows the real problem.


The SPD wants to avoid cooperation with the AfD under all circumstances. Therefore, a local politician should now be excluded. But it shows the real problem.

  • In the Franconian Höchstadt, an SPD politician has been elected 2nd mayor with the help of the AfD.
  • Now the man should be excluded from the party.
  • But he is tough and asks an important question.
  • Another reaction was shown by a Green politician after her election in Bayreuth.

Höchstadt - Now the SPD also has its election scandal. If FDP man Thomas Kemmerich had been helped to the post of Prime Minister of Thuringia in February with the help of AfD votes, a local government politician is now likely to stumble across support from the right-wing camp. Günter Schulz is the name of the man who, thanks to the approval of an AfD city council , can call himself 2nd mayor in Höchstadt near Erlangen in Middle Franconia .

With a delay of several days, this process developed an explosive force that could cost Schulz membership. On Wednesday, the Bavarian SPD state board decided to propose a party order procedure . The goal: to exclude Schulz from the SPD. "We took this hard step because we have a very clear stance in dealing with the AfD in the SPD . And that means: no cooperation at any level! ”Emphasized Bavaria's SPD head of state Natascha Kohnen . "Every SPD member knows where we stand here as social democrats."

Höchstadt: Behavior of the AfD politician demonstrates the dangerous nature of the party

The Höchstadt example shows how dangerous the AfD has become to the established parties at the local level , even if it is miles away from being able to form majorities and all Democrats strictly reject cooperation with the right wing.

AfD City Councilor Christian Bessler , a former CSU man and deeply rooted in both local politics and club life in Höchstadt, made his election behavior enjoyable public on the website of his party . He even mentioned - almost fatherly - the municipal political competence of Schulz and the 3rd mayor Axel Rogner (Junge Liste).

Höchstadt: AfD in the headlines - through tactical voting behavior

He should have accepted the fact that the praise for the two politicians he had brought into office came from the completely wrong side. The AfD has once again managed to make the headlines - not because of constructive factual policy - rather, in its opinion, clever tactics .

A similar case as in Höchstadt became known in Bayreuth . There the elected deputy mayor Sabine Steininger from the Greens did not accept her election because it could have come about with the votes of AfD representatives . There was also a murmur in Coburg : The new SPD mayor Dominik Sauerteig had to take the oath of office from AfD city councilor Axel Wehrmeister - according to the regulations, Wehrmeister was appointed as the oldest member of the council.

Höchstadt: AfD is relatively heavier despite fewer mandates

The increasing fragmentation of the party landscape in local parliaments favors the AfD - its few mandates are given a relatively high weight in some places - sometimes so great that it is enough to trigger small scandals . The established parties cannot do much more than watch.

The damage to the land of the Höchstadter political maneuver should not only be significant for Günter Schulz - because it also means a precedent . Election results that come about with the votes of AfD politicians may not be accepted. There are fewer alternatives when looking for cooperation partners . "How can you make a reasonable majority there," asks Günter Schulz - and it sounds a bit like a cry for help.

Höchstadt: SPD district association supports targeted exclusion

The chairman of the SPD district association Erlangen Höchstadt , Friedrich Müller, stands behind the exclusion of his party colleague aimed at by the state association of the party. He speaks of stubbornness . The district association had tried to arbitrate in advance, when the problem had started. "And then I have a comrade in the back," said Müller.

Schulz, on the other hand, does not see why he should resign and look for new majorities - as suggested by the district association. "It was a democratic, secret choice," he says. Neither the district association nor the state presidents knew what they were talking about. "They'll only notice that when the last voters run away." Schulz says that he has received a lot of support from the population .

Höchstadt: Mayor gives controversial party backing

At the municipal level, pragmatic solutions are required - and an AfD city council also has the right to freely vote . He is backed by the 1st Mayor Gerald Brehm - who wants to close the municipal political ranks in his city and preferably continue to work with his old drivers. But the former calm in the Höchstadter local council should be there for the time being - and maybe soon also in other committees at the local level.

The AfD recently separated from one of its problem cases: Andreas Kalbitz. However, the right-wing extremist remains in the Brandenburg parliamentary group.

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The number of right-wing extremist acts of violence in Germany has recently increased - there is a chronology on merkur.de *. The union of values, which seeks proximity to the AfD, is also presented there.

In the AfD, a directional battle is on the way after Björn Höcke has commented on the expulsion from Kalbitz with drastic words. The SPD has already warned the Union not to cooperate with the AfD.

* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

dpa, mol

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-05-20

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