AfD attributes unfilled mandates in Lower Saxony to social pressure
After the local elections in Lower Saxony, hundreds of AfD seats remain unfilled. State chief Ansgar Schledde sees the reason for this in hostility and professional disadvantages for candidates.
Quick Look
- After the local elections in Lower Saxony, hundreds of AfD seats remain unfilled.
- State leader Ansgar Schledde justifies this with social pressure, hostility and professional disadvantages for potential candidates.
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Why It Matters
After the local elections in Lower Saxony, 314 seats in local councils remained vacant across the country, 258 of which were held by the AfD.
The AfD attributes its vacant seats after the local elections in Lower Saxony to potential candidates' fears of personal and professional consequences. "The decisive factor for this is the high social pressure on candidates. Anyone who publicly stands for us has to accept hostility and professional disadvantages," said AfD state leader Ansgar Schledde. “That deters people who agree with us on the content.”
According to the preliminary results, 314 seats in local councils across the country remain unfilled, including 258 seats for the AfD. The municipal election results from the Rotenburg district are not yet taken into account.
This means that significantly more seats are vacant than before. After the 2021 local elections, only 41 seats remained vacant; after the 2016 elections, there were 54 vacant seats.
AfD election results have tripled
Schledde said the AfD had clearly exceeded its election goals. “The results have tripled, and the number of elected officials has increased even more,” he said. This was also made possible thanks to increasing membership numbers. “Nevertheless, we were not able to fill all the lists to capacity.”
The state chairman does not see the vacant seats as an obstacle to the AfD's municipal work. “We are moving into district councils, city and local councils across the board – often for the first time or in parliamentary groups,” he said. "Where seats are forfeited, the voter mandate remains in place. Even with reduced staffing levels, we will bring the citizens' concerns to the local committees."
Schledde also expects further members to join the party and increasing interest in local mandates. “That’s exactly what we’re concentrating on now,” he said. “Anyone who was not on a list in 2026 should be able to run for office in 2031. We expressly call on interested citizens to join.”
The AfD received 15.9 percent of the votes at district level, more than tripling its result compared to 2021. In the local elections it received 11.2 percent (plus 9 percentage points).
Open Questions
- How much impact will the vacant seats have on practical committee work?
