Temporarily leading government Figure, Kemmerich, is being ousted from the State Parliament.
Thomas L. Kemmerich served as Minister-President of Thuringia for 27 days, thanks to the support of the AfD. He will not be part of the new state parliament's lineup. His FDP suffered a harsh setback.
The electoral night marked a significant turning point in the political journey of the Thuringian FDP leader Thomas L. Kemmerich, potentially signaling the twilight of his political career. Despite his brief tenure as Minister-President of the Free State of Thuringia, Kemmerich will not be re-elected to the Erfurt state parliament. Projected results suggest that his FDP barely scrapes above the one-percent threshold. In his constituency of Erfurt II, the 59-year-old ranked sixth among the seven candidates vying for direct representation, securing only 3.1% of the votes. The constituency victory went to the CDU candidate with 33.7%.
Kemmerich gained nationwide attention in February 2020 as a surprise choice for Minister-President. He was elected with support from both the CDU and AfD at the time. Party leader Christian Lindner and deputy Wolfgang Kubicki initially congratulated him ("A candidate from the democratic center has emerged victorious."), but the pressure mounted as it marked the first time the AfD had helped elect a Minister-President. Lindner quickly made his way to Erfurt and applied maximum pressure on the newly appointed FDP Minister-President, threatening to resign from his position as party leader.
After 27 days, his tenure came to an end when Kemmerich stepped down amidst public outcry and pressure from the federal party. He also highlighted the constant hostility he had encountered in his personal life. Ever since, the relationship between the federal FDP and the Thuringian state association has remained strained. However, they stood by him, maintaining his position and campaigning alongside him – to no avail, as it turned out. Along with Kemmerich, three other FDP members of parliament are also losing their seats.
Before serving as a member of the Erfurt state parliament from 2009 to 2014, Kemmerich had a temporary stint in the Bundestag. He returned to the state parliament in 2019.
Following his brief stint as Minister-President, Thomas L. Kemmerich's political future with the FDP in Thuringia seems uncertain. Despite the support from the AfD, his party suffered a substantial setback during the recent election, struggling to surpass the one-percent threshold.
Despite the loss, the FDP maintains its support for Kemmerich, who will not be returning to the Erfurt state parliament due to the election results.
