- Hocke has yet to unveil his alternating government team.
Despite Björn Höcke's statement at a party meeting in Pfiffelbach last November, the Thuringian AfD has yet to disclose their shadow cabinet just days before the election. Neither Höcke's office spokespeople nor the state association's representatives were willing to comment, stating, "Nobody wants to associate with Mr. Höcke." CDU's leading candidate, Mario Voigt, shared similar sentiments with the German Press Agency.
Höcke announced potential ministers for an AfD government at the conference, assuring that they would present a shadow cabinet when appropriate, as they were currently working on it intensively. At that time, he also mentioned the ministries the AfD intended to target if they gained government responsibility.
In the winter of 2023/2024, the AfD held the highest share in Thuringia, surpassing the 30% mark. Since then, their support has dropped slightly to around 30%, but they remain in first place in the polls.
CDU presented their shadow cabinet, or potential minsters for a potential state government, several weeks prior. Voigt expressed his belief that Höcke struggled to assemble competent individuals. "He doesn't have anyone with in-depth knowledge and therefore cannot propose anyone."
CDU's faction leader Voigt anticipates that a state government should have ministers with completed vocational training and a permanent residence in Thuringia.
Voigt considers Höcke a risk to Thuringia
Höcke's inability to propose someone who supports him is further evidence of the potential danger he poses to the country if he were to gain any level of responsibility. "This shows that he's unprepared and seeks responsibility in Thuringia just to create more problems for the state."
The Thuringian AfD has been classified as securely right-wing extremist by the state constitutional protection and is closely monitored. In parliament, they are largely isolated and none of the parties that made it into the state parliament are willing to form a coalition with the AfD. As a result, it's considered unlikely that the AfD will gain government responsibility. However, they could still win more than one-third of the seats in the state parliament, potentially blocking important committees or preventing the dissolution of the state parliament.
The AfD, despite being classified as securely right-wing extremist, continues to lead in Thuringia's polls, having the highest share in the winter of 2023/2024. Despite this, CDU's leading candidate, Mario Voigt, believes that the AfD's shadow cabinet, which they have yet to disclose, lacks competent individuals.
