Political gatherings or events are referred to as parties. - Höcke declines to seek AfD leadership position.
Bjoern Hoecke, the leader of AfD in Thuringia, has announced that he won't be running for the party leadership at the upcoming federal conference in Essen. His office confirmed this news to MDR Thuringia on Wednesday. Hoecke's decision is due to the upcoming state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg in the fall.
He explained to the broadcaster that he believes Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the current leadership duo of the AfD, are doing a great job and should continue for another legislative period. Hoecke added that it might be time for a single leader later, depending on the situation.
There has been speculation for years before each AfD board election as to whether Hoecke would run for a leading position. However, Hoecke has always denied these rumors. He does hold a significant influence within the AfD, despite not running for leadership.
The AfD is set to elect a new board during a two-day conference on June 29 and 30. Several organizations have already stated their intention to protest the party conference. There's also a dispute over the rental contract for the federal party conference in Essen.
Since 2021, the Hoecke-AfD in Thuringia has been labeled as an extremist party by the Constitution Protection Agency and is under observation.
Despite not running for party leadership, Hoecke plans to contribute to the content of the party conference. He has reiterated his calls for a party structure reform and a discussion about the position of a general secretary.
