AfD Candidate with Chances for Vice President Position? - Thuringia's Parliament Stays Deadlocked Over Far-Right Deputy Speaker Vote
Thuringia's state parliament remains deadlocked over the election of a deputy speaker. The position has been vacant for over a year due to ongoing disputes. Now, Uwe Thrum, a 51-year-old AfD lawmaker, is emerging as the most electable candidate for the role.
The standoff has also paralysed two key judicial committees, leaving them unable to function without enough members to meet quorum requirements. The AfD, classified as far-right by Thuringia's domestic intelligence agency, holds the largest faction in the legislature. Since 2024, its blockade in the Landtag has prevented the election of a chairman and deputy for the Justizausschuss (Judicial Committee). Without these appointments, the committee cannot meet or vote on critical legislation, including victim protection laws and judicial reforms. A two-thirds majority is required—but the AfD refuses to support it.
Previous AfD nominees for the deputy speaker post have been rejected. This time, Thrum, who has served in the state parliament since 2019, appears the most viable option. However, the Left Party opposes his candidacy, citing his past contacts with the Reichsbürger movement during the coronavirus pandemic.
CDU faction leader Andreas Bühl acknowledged Thrum's electability but made support conditional on progress in filling the two stalled judicial committees. Meanwhile, BSW faction leader Sigrid Hupach will allow Thrum to present himself to her group before deciding on backing him.
The impasse has left the committees responsible for appointing judges and prosecutors inactive. Without resolution, key legal processes and reforms remain frozen. Thrum's nomination could break the deadlock, but opposition remains strong. The Left Party's rejection and the CDU's conditions add further complications. Until an agreement is reached, Thuringia's judicial committees will stay paralysed, delaying essential legal work.
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.
