Thadäus König, a CDU politician, has been elected President of the Thuringian State Parliament. König triumphed over the AfD candidate Wiebke Muhsal, who has a criminal record for fraud. The election took place after the Thuringian Constitutional Court set rules that effectively limited the influence of the AfD, which is classified as right-wing extremist by the constitutional protection agency. The court's ruling also allowed all parliamentary factions to propose candidates, not just the strongest one, which in this case was the AfD.
The CDU's motion, supported by the BSW, initiated this change, ensuring a more inclusive candidate selection process. König received 54 votes, surpassing the AfD's 32 votes, which reflected their parliamentary strength. The election was marked by a series of interruptions and confrontations, initially resulting in a deadlock and leading to the court's intervention.
König's election was also backed by the Left and SPD parties, who had declared their opposition to electing any AfD representative. His victory is seen as a consensus move, aiming to stabilize the parliamentary proceedings following a contentious period. König, a political science PhD holder, previously defeated AfD leader Björn Höcke in his home district of Eichsfeld, securing the best first-vote result statewide.
The election underscores the ongoing political tension in Thuringia, where the AfD, despite being the strongest faction, faces significant institutional resistance. König's new role is expected to bring a degree of impartiality and adherence to the constitution, as he navigates the complexities of leading the state parliament amidst these challenges.
