Tension in Luckenwalde: Runoff election and AfD party conference cause a stir!

Tension in Luckenwalde: Runoff election and AfD party conference cause a stir!

During election week in Luckenwalde, the tension is rising: on October 19, 2025, the runoff election will take place between Jochen Neumann, a non-party candidate, and Matthias Grunert from the SPD. Neumann is the favorite after winning the first round of voting. The future mayor will succeed long-standing incumbent Elisabeth Herzog-von der Heide, who represented the SPD for many years and is now no longer standing for election. The election is taking place in the context of an intense political climate in which right-wing extremist tendencies are playing an increasingly important role.

These political trends were also evident at the AfD party conference in Jüterbog, which was taking place nearby at the same time. Protests against the AfD, which are part of the nationwide election campaign for the federal election on February 23rd, are, according to reports, well attended by both organizers and the police: the initiators counted around 12,000 participants, while the police speak of around 10,000. Demonstrators have traveled from more than 70 cities to mobilize against the far-right party. According to DW, there were also some violent clashes, although these did not cloud the peaceful character of the predominantly protests.

Right-wing extremism and the influence of the AfD

The AfD has developed into the second strongest force in the German parliament in recent years, which is made clear by the polls following the collapse of the coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Saxony is one of the AfD's strongholds, where the party received 24.6% of the vote in the last federal election in 2021 and also emerged as the most voted party in regional elections in September 2022, but was unable to form a government. These developments shed light on the role of right-wing extremism in German politics, which, according to bpb, is seen as an ongoing threat to democracy.

The right-wing extremist AfD has been classified as a “suspected right-wing extremist case” since 2021 and has a significant influence on the popularity of extreme right-wing positions. Under its candidate for chancellor Alice Weidel, the party promises to demolish all wind turbines and reactivate the Nord Stream gas pipeline. “Large-scale” deportations are also on the agenda if the party comes to power, as recent reporting suggests.

Redevelopment and infrastructure projects

Despite this political turbulence, important municipal projects continue to run in Luckenwalde. The Luckenwalde municipal swimming pool is being renovated with three million euros in funding from the federal government and the city in order to be transformed into a cultural and creative center. The renovation and planning phase is already underway, but there are still many uncertainties to be overcome before the final opening.

Another important project concerns the planned pedestrian crossing on Kienitzer Straße in Rangsdorf. Brigitte Ziemendorf has been actively involved here, so the construction of the crossing can now be expected. Work is also beginning to extend the sidewalk on the northern side of the street, although this will also involve temporary traffic restrictions.

There are always bright spots in local politics: Julien Pree from Königs Wusterhausen enjoys great popularity on TikTok with his announcements in the A10 Center, which generate high numbers of views and thus bring a breath of fresh air to the region.

The events in Luckenwalde and the wider area show how closely local decisions are interwoven with larger political currents and how people in the region react to the challenges arising from these developments.