Defeat for Höcke – Thuringian state parliament rejects AfD push for new elections

The AfD parliamentary group under its leader Björn Höcke has failed in its attempt to dissolve the Thuringian state parliament. In a special session of parliament in Erfurt, 34 members voted for the self-dissolution of the state parliament and 52 against it. A two-thirds majority was needed to dissolve the state parliament, which was not achieved. The AfD is the largest parliamentary group and has 32 of 88 seats. With her, two BSW MPs, who are non-attached, voted for the dissolution of the state parliament.

The AfD's chances of success were already considered slim before the vote. Höcke justified the call for the state parliament to dissolve itself with the plagiarism affair of CDU Prime Minister Mario Voigt and the disintegration of the BSW government faction. Ten of its former MPs form the Thuringia.Gerecht parliamentary group, which has a minority government led by Prime Minister Mario Voigt together with the CDU and SPD.

Immediately before the special meeting, Voigt announced that he had withdrawn his lawsuit against the revocation of his doctorate by Chemnitz University of Technology against the advice of his lawyers. He justified the decision by saying that he wanted to give all his strength, energy and attention to Thuringia and its citizens. A legal dispute would also have demanded his attention. Voigt: “The severity of the political debate demands my full commitment.”