Chemnitz: Two AfD factions – What does that mean for the city?

Chemnitz: Two AfD factions – What does that mean for the city?

In Chemnitz, the dispute over the AfD faction in the city council is causing a stir. The city administration is planning to recognize an AfD group that has shrunk to three people as a parliamentary group. This decision follows an urgent motion from Nico Köhler, the former head of the entire parliamentary group, who thereby brought about a fundamental reorganization in the city council. Mayor Sven Schulze (SPD) explained that the decision was made in the city's interest in order to quickly move forward with filling the committees and advisory boards. “Continuing the legal dispute would hinder the work of the city council,” emphasized Schulze, who, however, admits that the administrative court’s reasoning leaves questions unanswered. Nevertheless, the city will not file an appeal against the administrative court's decision in order to avoid further delays.

An extraordinary city council meeting will take place on September 15th in which the committees, advisory boards and supervisory boards will be filled. The allocation of seats will be done by agreement, nomination process or an election. The new factions could influence the distribution. The emotional and internal party disputes within the AfD have repeatedly caused delays in filling these important committees in recent months.

The emergence of two factions

Interestingly, there are now two AfD factions in the Chemnitz city council - a situation that is not new if you think of examples such as the “double” left in the Dresden city council in 2007. The city had previously refused parliamentary group status for a new formation of twelve AfD members, but the administrative court obliged the city to treat the three AfD city councilors as a parliamentary group. This ruling highlights that caucus affiliation is independent of party affiliation, giving the city more leeway in dealing with this divided situation.

The debate about the AfD and its role in local politics is not only important in Chemnitz. The party is trying to position itself as a “career party” in order to gain influence and advocate populist measures, such as closing the borders or negotiating with Eastern Europe. In many parts of Germany, especially in Saxony, there are efforts to maintain the firewall against the AfD, even as personal relationships between politicians increasingly influence the political debate.

Political reactions and challenges

The challenges arising from this split in the AfD are diverse. Local politicians often experience hostility and feel uncomfortable in their role, which can lead to them withdrawing from office. The political debate culture has been polarized by the AfD's otherness, which requires a serious debate about the party's role and influence in local committees. There are similar developments in other European countries, which are creating a political climate in which right-wing extremist positions are finding more and more means to be heard.

Mayor Schulze made it clear that although the situation with the newly created factions had to be accepted, the distribution of seats may not fully reflect the election results of the city council election on June 9, 2024. It remains to be seen how the parliamentary groups in the city council will position themselves and how this will influence the political landscape in Chemnitz.