Frohnmaier leads the AfD into the state election: Fight for Baden-Württemberg!

Frohnmaier leads the AfD into the state election: Fight for Baden-Württemberg!

Heilbronn, Deutschland - Markus Frohnmaier was elected as the top candidate of the Baden-Württemberg AfD for the 2026 state election. At a party meeting in Heilbronn, almost all of the approximately 400 delegates voted for him, whereby only one vote was given. In his role as leader of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag since 2017, Frohnmaier is also a close confidant of AfD chairman Alice Weidel.

The upcoming state election in Baden-Württemberg is scheduled for March 8, 2026. Frohnmaier, who has announced not to be set up for the state parliament or the state list, would like to continue his parliamentary activity in the Bundestag if he is not elected prime minister. In his imagination, he described himself as a "Prime Minister candidate" and not just as a top candidate.

election strategies and program

The AfD tries to act as a people with an ambitious election program. Among other things, this includes a "9-point continuation program" that contains suggestions for solving fundamental problems in Baden-Württemberg. The program is to be implemented in the first 100 days of an AfD-led government. The plans include the creation of a "Baden-Württemberg Fund", which is intended to invest in shares, bonds and renewable energies without causing new debts.

The AfD also focuses on energy policy in its election campaign. It is planned to reduce energy prices by new nuclear power plants and the revival of economic relations with Russia. In addition, some of the funds from climate protection measures are to be redirected to an “energy discount”. Frohnmaier and his party, among other things, strive for an irregular migration and want to get out of the nationwide distribution of refugees.

political challenges and surveys

Despite its increasing ambitions, the AfD has to deal with challenges. A survey from May 2023 shows that the party in Baden-Württemberg would take third place behind the CDU and the Greens with 19 percent of the votes. This survey takes place in a context in which the AfD was classified nationwide by the constitutional protection as "secured right-wing extremist" and is considered a right-wing extremist suspicion in Baden-Württemberg.

Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann from the Greens, who recently announced his resignation in office after 15 years, will be faced with a potential challenger. Manuel Hagel runs for the CDU, while Cem Özdemir goes into the race for the Greens. The AfD, on the other hand, pursues a clear coalition application, whereby the CDU does not fundamentally exclude cooperation, while other parties vehemently reject this option

Compared to previous right-wing extremists in Baden-Württemberg, such as the NPD and the Republicans, the AfD has proven to be much more successful and is now represented in all 16 state parliament as well as in the Bundestag and in the European Parliament. In the past, the NPD reached 15.1 percent of the votes in 2016, while the AfD received 19.8 percent in the Bundestag election in February 2025 in Baden-Württemberg. The NPD, which culminated in the 1960s, now plays a marginalized role and leaves space for the AfD as a dominant force in the right -wing extremist spectrum of the country.

The coming months will be decisive for the AfD and Markus Frohnmaier, since the political landscape in Baden-Württemberg could experience a reorganization. The party must prove that it not only represents an Opposition, but also has the ability to take on responsibility and government.