Björn Höcke shares insights on his medical absence
The group of Thuringia's leading politicians for the state election announces unexpectedly that Björn Höcke won't participate due to health issues. The very next day, Höcke is back on stage for an event in Nordhausen. During his speech, the 52-year-old discusses his current health situation.
Höcke, the top AfD candidate in Thuringia, attended a rally after cancelling a TV appearance due to illness. Addressing a large crowd in Nordhausen, he declared, "I'm feeling great!" He attributed his recovery to having overcome a virus. Insisting on his health, he jokingly added, "If I were to hop on a bike now, I could make it to the Brocken in less than three hours." The Brocken is the tallest mountain in Saxony-Anhalt.
Höcke used his speech to criticize the media and argue that democracy was failing.
The day before, Höcke had dropped out of a debate with ntv and Antenne Thüringen, citing health concerns. Stefan Möller, AfD's co-chairman in Thuringia, substituted Höcke and revealed that he had struggled to sleep the previous night.
Torben Braga, the press spokesperson for Thuringia's AfD, had already claimed that Höcke would recover in time for the next day. According to ntv, the cancellation occurred before the planned debate on Monday, was later confirmed on Tuesday, and was then rescheduled and again cancelled on Wednesday morning.
Most analysts believe that Höcke's previous TV appearances, like those on MDR, were not successful. They observed him appearing nervous and less sharp-witted, as reported. The AfD continues to maintain an average support of 30% in Thuringia polls.
Despite cancelling his TV appearance due to health issues, Höcke surprisingly participated in the 'Elections to the Landtag of Thuringia'. During his rally speech, he reassured the crowd about his health and claimed to have overcome a virus.
