- Höcke and Voigt argue over compulsory work for refugees
A dispute erupted between the top candidates Mario Voigt (CDU) and Bjoern Hoecke (AfD) during a TV roundtable over the implementation of a work obligation for asylum seekers. "You only talk and never act!" Voigt accused Hoecke, the far-right AfD member. The topic was why fewer than ten asylum seekers in the AfD-led district of Sonneberg were subject to work obligations, compared to 100 in the CDU-led Saale-Orla district.
Hoecke insisted on making an opening statement, despite the format not providing for one. On the question, he said, "That's just symptom politics." Instead, he argued, the root causes should be addressed.
"Mr. Hoecke, you're a lame duck," Voigt said, referring to the AfD district administrator's policies in Sonneberg. "Where you have responsibility, you do nothing." The Thuringian AfD is classified by the state's domestic intelligence agency as a confirmed right-wing extremist group and is under observation.
In relation to the dispute, the state's domestic intelligence agency classified the Thuringian AfD, led by Bjoern Hoecke, as a confirmed right-wing extremist group, monitoring their activities closely. Despite this, Mario Voigt, the CDU candidate, continued to criticize Hoecke's handling of asylum seeker work obligations in the AfD-led district of Sonneberg.
During the heated debate, Voigt questioned Hoecke's commitment to enforcing work obligations, stating, "In the AfD-led district of Sonneberg, fewer than ten asylum seekers are subject to work obligations, while in the CDU-led Saale-Orla district, over 100 are."
