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Young politician Linda Stark becomes the new chairwoman of the Thuringia Municipal Forum!
Ralf Plötner becomes the new Left state chairman in Hildburghausen, while Linda Stark heads the “Local Political Forum”.
Young politician Linda Stark becomes the new chairwoman of the Thuringia Municipal Forum!
On June 25, 2025 there will be exciting developments in Thuringia, especially in the political landscape. Ralf Plötner recently took up a new position as state chairman of the Left. He was elected to this office in mid-June 2025. This change also brings with it a change in leadership in the “Local Political Forum Thuringia”, where Plötner is giving up his position as board member. 24-year-old Linda Stark, the youngest member of the Thuringian state parliament, will succeed him. Stark found her way into parliament in autumn 2024 through her party's 9th place on the list.
But it's not just personnel changes that dominate the news. Ralf Plötner, who also works as health and care policy spokesman for the LEFT parliamentary group, is currently heavily involved in the area of hospital policy. The 9th Thuringian Hospital Forum is being held to develop the 8th Thuringian Hospital Plan. Despite the positive approaches of the successful Thuringian workshop process for hospital planning, difficulties arise: a nationwide hospital reform is significantly delaying the introduction of the plan. Delays continue to come into play due to Federal Minister Lauterbach's Transparency Act. This creates uncertainties in planning that need to be addressed urgently.
Challenges for Thuringia's health sector
The goal of the 8th Thuringian Hospital Plan is clear: to secure and further develop the hospital locations in Thuringia. In a recent debate, Plötner emphasized that responsibility for the additional costs resulting from inflation, the energy crisis and tariff increases lies with the federal government. More favorable conditions must be created so that Thuringian hospitals have planning security. Plötner is currently calling for a hospital remuneration reform law to provide the necessary financial support.
A health policy turnaround could come about through the recently passed small amendment to the Thuringian Hospital Act. This passed the cabinet on January 9, 2024 and now creates the legal requirements for the federal government's planned hospital reform. A key change is that clinics will be classified more flexibly according to service groups in the future. The remuneration system is also being reformed: clinics should be paid appropriately not only for treating cases, but also for providing services. This is intended to reduce the pressure on clinics to treat as many cases as possible.
A look into the future
Progress in the Thuringian health sector is still shaky, but political actors are showing commitment to mastering the challenges. While many questions still remain unanswered for the 8th Thuringian Hospital Plan, current developments provide an insight into how the hospital plan could develop further in the next few months. Those responsible, led by Plötner and Stark, are doing everything they can to ensure the quality of healthcare in Thuringia and to develop sustainable solutions.
For more background information on current developments in the health sector, you can read the articles from in southern Thuringia, philipp-weltzien.de and kma-online.de read.