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Thomas Kemmerich (FDP) accepts congratulations from AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke in February 2020 after his election as Prime Minister
Photo: Martin Schutt / dpa
What Chancellor Angela Merkel had to say about Thomas Kemmerich's election as Prime Minister of Thuringia will become a case for the Federal Constitutional Court.
The FDP politician was elected head of government in the state in February 2020 with votes from the AfD.
Merkel described this as "unforgivable" and the result must be reversed.
According to a press release by the court, a lawsuit by the AfD will be heard on July 21 as to whether Merkel could express herself in this form and whether her statement was allowed to be published on the websites of the Federal Government and the Federal Chancellor.
From the AfD's point of view, the Chancellor and the Federal Government violated their duty to be neutral in the political battle of opinion and thus the AfD's right to equal opportunities for political parties.
Nationwide outrage after the election
The other side is of the opinion that neither the statement nor its publications are constitutionally objectionable.
Merkel did not speak in an official capacity, but as a party politician.
In addition, she only turned to the CDU.
The AfD is only indirectly affected.
The Landtag in Thuringia voted for Kemmerich with 45 of 90 votes in the third ballot.
For the first time in Germany, AfD votes were decisive.
This thwarted the re-election of Bodo Ramelow (left) as head of government.
The election of Kemmerich triggered a wave of outrage nationwide and plunged Thuringia into a deep government crisis.
After nationwide criticism, Kemmerich resigned a few days later and ran the business without a government until March.
Then Ramelow was again elected head of government.
If there is a majority in the state parliament for the dissolution of parliament, a new state parliament will be elected parallel to the federal election on September 26th.
Merkel answered from South Africa
When Merkel commented on the Kemmerich case, she was in South Africa in 2020. The Chancellor does not normally speak out on domestic political issues when traveling abroad. At that time, she made an exception and said: "The election of this Prime Minister was a unique process that broke with a basic conviction for the CDU and also for me, namely that no majorities should be won with the help of the AfD." The CDU should not attack participate in a government under Kemmerich. "It was a bad day for democracy," said Merkel.
Regardless of the legal dispute, the Thuringian FDP has re-elected Thomas Kemmerich as its state chairman.
The 56-year-old received 66.7 percent of the vote at a state party conference in Erfurt last weekend.
He prevailed in a fight vote with 76 to 33 votes against a challenger.
lau / dpa / AFP
