Was the AfD deliberately chose Jurgen Treutler due to his advanced age for nomination?
In the initial gathering of the Thuringian state legislature, attention is drawn towards an individual: Jürgen Treutler, a 73-year-old retiree, the oldest elected member of the Thuringian state legislature post the September 1st election with a 42.6% share of the initial votes in the Sonneberg I district. Unlike some federal parliament or specific state legislatures, the Thuringian state legislature designates its oldest member rather than the longest-serving one to hold this title.
Treutler superseded another candidate
Investigations by "World" reveal that the AfD, Treutler's political party, nominated him due to his age to claim the position, as he is doing now. In the beginning of the year, the party had unanimously appointed another candidate for the state legislature in this district but later substituted him with Treutler in the summer. Björn Höcke, the AfD Thuringia leader, stated that their party in Thuringia has a profound strategic plan in response to a "World" probe. Had Treutler not won, Wolfgang Lauerwald would have assumed the role of the oldest member since he too holds a seat in the state legislature for the AfD.
Born on Silberstraße near Zwickau, Treutler obtained a Diplomingenieur degree in mechanical engineering in the GDR and worked in the energy sector until after reunification. He joined the AfD in 2017, expressing his frustration towards Angela Merkel's refugee policy at the time. In 2018, the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution kept an eye on the AfD led by Höcke.
Since 2019, Treutler has been a member of the Sonneberg district council, serving as the AfD faction head. He also claimed the role of chairman of the Sonneberg city council in August, a place he has resided for over three decades. A 2021 bid for the federal legislature with the AfD yielded no success for him.
Treutler to appear in court
The CDU faction along with its parliamentary business manager, Andreas Bühler, filed an emergency petition with the Thuringian Constitutional Court to obtain a restriction order against Treutler on Thursday. This petition would compel Treutler to put forth the application of the CDU and BSW for a vote.
Treutler was given until Friday afternoon to respond. The court will then assess the application before making a decision likely by the evening.
The petition against Treutler was filed by the CDU faction, led by Andreas Bühler, who believes that Treutler should present the application of the CDU and BSW for a vote. If Treutler does not comply, the Thuringian Constitutional Court may issue a restriction order against him.
If Treutler's position as the oldest member of The Commission (which, in this context, seems to refer to the Thuringian state legislature) is challenged, Wolfgang Lauerwald, another AFD member, would assume the title, as he too holds a seat in the legislature.
