Harburg’s political shake-up welcomes AfD’s Helge Ritscher as new assembly member
The Harburg district assembly has seen another change in its political lineup. After Harald Groterjahn left his seat, Helge Ritscher has now taken over as the newest member. The shift follows months of upheaval within local factions.
Harald Groterjahn originally lost his AfD membership before forming his own independent faction. In November 2025, he was expelled from the SPD, prompting him to resign his mandate. Kevin Leßmann briefly filled the vacancy before stepping aside.
Helge Ritscher, who already chairs the Harburg AfD association, has now been appointed to the seat. His arrival strengthens the AfD’s presence in the assembly, making him the faction’s fourth member.
The district assembly’s composition has stabilised for now with Ritscher’s appointment. His role as faction chairman and assembly member consolidates the AfD’s influence in Harburg. The changes reflect ongoing shifts in local party dynamics.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
