District election in Ludwigslust-Parchim: inconsistencies in the election campaign!

District election in Ludwigslust-Parchim: inconsistencies in the election campaign!

On May 11, 2025, Stefan Sternberg from the SPD won the district election in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. With 58 percent of the vote, he was re-elected district administrator, securing his second term in office. However, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) has criticized the election campaign as unfair, due to some controversy surrounding the supporters and their business connections reports the SVZ.

In the election, AfD candidate Dietmar Friedhoff received 28.1 percent of the vote and CDU candidate Simone Borchardt received 12.1 percent. Philipp Lübbert from the Greens contributed 2.0 percent. Voter turnout was an encouraging 50.6 percent, a significant increase compared to just 34.0 percent in the 2018 election notes the NDR.

Unfair election campaign strategies?

Stefan Sternberg's election campaign was characterized by a large number of posters and videos with prominent supporters. This support came from different political camps, including Boizenburg's mayor Rico Reichelt from the Left and Balow's mayor Kriemhild Kant, who is non-party. The support from Jörg Klingohr and retired General Gerd Kropf was also remarkable. However, NDR pointed out that these two supporters have business relationships with the district, which may have created an unfair advantage for Sternberg.

Sternberg responded to the allegations immediately and called the allegations absurd. He pointed out that the connections to his supporters were well known and not mysterious. He also made it clear that there are no direct economic connections to Gerd Kropf, but only a service contract between the district and the FMB leadership and management consultancy, which is run by Kropf's wife. In the financial years 2022 to 2024, this company received almost 110,000 euros for disaster protection consultations and training measures for over 250 staff members.

The next steps for the district administrator

With his re-election, Stefan Sternberg now has the opportunity to continue working on his projects. He plans to pay particular attention to the renovation of historical monuments and the improvement of outpatient health care. The development of rural areas also plays a crucial role in reaching and supporting the citizens in the district in the long term.

How successful campaign strategies are depends not only on the issues, but also on the mobilization of voters. How describes the knowledge, the use of media, be it traditional or online, is crucial to success. According to Sternberg, this election campaign used a clever combination of personal charisma and a clear political vision to mobilize voters and emphasize cohesion in the district.

With a clear mandate and a motivated electorate, Stefan Sternberg now faces the challenge of successfully implementing the upcoming projects and at the same time strengthening the democratic legitimacy of his re-election. It will be exciting to see how the political landscape in the district continues to develop.