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Thuringia's FDP leader Thomas Kemmerich
Photo: Martin Schutt / dpa
In spring 2020, Thuringia's FDP leader Thomas Kemmerich was Prime Minister in the Free State for 25 hours - then he resigned after criticizing his election.
Now the short-term Prime Minister wants to run again as the top candidate in the next state election.
At a party congress in Schmalkalden, southern Thuringia, Kemmerich declared his readiness to stand for a top candidacy.
"We have to be prepared," he said.
In the state election, initially planned for 2021, Kemmerich had not yet run for a top candidate - the 56-year-old wanted to be part of a team.
The FDP leadership had insisted on this.
Kemmerich had caused a government crisis in Thuringia in 2020 through his election, in which AfD votes were decisive.
Government crisis with repercussions
Thuringia has not recovered from the aftermath to this day: Most recently, a vote of no confidence by the AfD against Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) failed.
The parliamentary groups of the Left, SPD, Greens and FDP unanimously voted no.
As announced, the CDU MPs stayed in their seats and did not vote - which had already brought them a lot of criticism.
Early state elections were actually scheduled for autumn 2021 - after their cancellation, the legislative period in Thuringia will continue until 2024.
"Breaking points in red-red-green are recognizable"
Kemmerich told the dpa news agency that he was “talking” about his ambitions with the FDP party leadership.
It's about his readiness to run for office - but ultimately a state party conference decides who will be the top candidate for the FDP in the next state election.
The party would have to expect the legislative period to end earlier than 2024.
"The predetermined breaking points in red-red-green are recognizable." The red-red-green minority coalition of Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) does not have a majority in the state parliament - it is four votes short of which it must court the opposition.
mrc / dpa