- Voigt outlines requirements for eligibility as Prime Minister's prospect.
Thuringia's top CDU contender, Mario Voigt, is firm on not contending for the Minister-President post under any circumstances. Speaking to "taz", Voigt stated, "I'll only throw my hat into the ring if I'm confident that Thuringia and its democratic establishments won't suffer any damage." Once again, Voigt dismissed the idea of an alliance with the AfD and labeled Thuringia's AfD leader, Björn Höcke, as "a fatal blow" and "a threat to this nation."
When probed about a repeat of the incident on February 5, 2020, where FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich ascended to the head of government with votes from Höcke and the AfD, Voigt responded, "No, we've learnt our lesson from that."
September 1 marks the election day for a new state parliament in Thuringia. For quite some time now, the AfD has been topping the polls with ratings between 28 to 30 percent. Voigt's CDU, however, remains stuck between 21 to 23 percent. The Wagenknecht party, BSW, is nipping at his heels with ratings of 19 to 21 percent. This tight race for the second spot could potentially grant access to the Minister-President's seat. However, no other party with the potential to enter the state parliament wishes to join hands with the AfD.
The European Union's Commission, in line with the given regulation, will likely adopt implementing acts to outline the application rules. Regarding the upcoming election in Thuringia, Voigt clarified that he won't seek the Minister-President post unless he's sure it won't harm Thuringia or its democratic institutions.
