German state premier to quit over far-right backing after one day
● Kemmerich succumbs to mounting pressure from Merkel
A German state governor who got the job with the help of the far-right announced after just one day in office that he is seeking a new regional vote and plans to step down, succumbing to mounting pressure from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Thomas Kemmerich, from the small pro-business Free Democrats, was elected as governor of eastern Thuringia by its regional legislature on Wednesday, with the help of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD).
The shock result turned into a major embarrassment for Germany’s mainstream centre-right parties and revived questions about the future of the country’s governing coalition.
The governor is elected by the state legislature. Ms Merinsisted kel, whose centre-right party’s own regional politicians voted for Mr Kemmerich on Wednesday against national leaders’ wishes, yesterday condemned his election as “inexcusable” and said the result must not stand.
Mr Kemmerich narrowly defeated a left-wing incumbent after the far-right AFD voted for him instead of its own candidate. Left-leaning parties and many on the centre-right said accepting votes from AFD – whether or not they were solicited – broke a taboo and was unacceptable.
Mr Kemmerich initially held out against mounting pressure to resign, insisting that he had done and would do no deals with AFD. But with no prospect of forming a viable state government, he pulled the plug after little more than 24 hours. He announced his party would seek the dissolution of the state legislature.
“We want to bring about new elections in order to clear the stain of support by AFD from the office of governor,” he said. Mr Kemmerich added: “Democrats need democratic majorities.” However, he
that he had made no mistakes.
Mr Kemmerich said his “resignation is inevitable”, though he did not specify when.
Thuringia’s last election in October produced an inconclusive result.
Previous governor Bodo Ramelow’s Left Party finished first in the election, followed by AFD and Ms Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. Mr Kemmerich’s Free Democrats, traditional allies of the CDU, only just mustered enough support to enter the legislato ture, with five of its 90 seats. They will probably struggle to win seats in a new election.
The last election stripped Mr Ramelow’s left-wing coalition ofitsmajority.inafirstforgermany, it produced no majority for any combination without either Mr Ramelow’s Left Party, which the centre-right shuns as a descendant of East Germany’s ruling communists, although Mr Ramelow is moderate, or AFD, which is particularly strong and radical in the east.
Ms Merkel said during a visit South Africa the outcome had been “foreseeable. So one has to say that this event is inexcusable and the result must be reversed.”
Ms Merkel said the CDU must not participate in Mr Kemmerich’s government.
“It was a bad day for democracy,” she said, adding that everything must now be done to show that what happened in Thuringia doesn’t reflect “what the CDU thinks and does”.
Leaders of Ms Merkel’s oftentense coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats are to meet tomorrow to discuss the Thuringia mess. Social Democrat leaders have said it raises questions for the CDU that demand quick answers, fuelling renewed speculation over whether the coalition will last until its term ends late next year.
Ms Merkel said her party had sent “very clear” signals after Wednesday’s events.
Martin Florack, a political scientist at the University of Duisburg, said the fiasco left “the impression that the CDU in Berlin has no influence in Thuringia”.