Mayoral election in Pirna: Candidate Lochner wins for AfD

“There is a bit of disappointment. We would have liked a different result, but as a democrat I accept that,” Dollinger-Knuth told MDR SACHSEN after the election. “We will now be the critical opposition in the city council and the AfD must deliver now.”

Dollinger-Knuth received broad support for the second round of voting. The mayoral candidates in the first round of elections in Pirna, Ralf Wätzig (SPD) and André Liebscher (independent), pledged their support to the CDU candidate and decided not to run again. Most recently, the Greens and the city association of the Left also called for Dollinger-Knuth to be elected. “We were disappointed that the Free Voters did not join our alliance,” said the politician.

“It worries me that the trend in Germany is increasing and the AfD is becoming stronger – especially so stable,” said Ralf Thiele from the Free Voters MDR SACHSEN. This federal trend is a shame. We will see what the AfD mayor will mean for the city. “The first feeling is that the city’s image is suffering, investors may leave or young people may avoid the city,” he said.

“We could have won this election under different conditions. After the first round of voting, I offered to talk to each other,” said Thiele. These discussions did not take place. “I was available and would have liked support from the CDU and the other partners.” Now everything will have to be done to ensure that an AfD mayor cannot act as he pleases.

The CDU parliamentary group leader in the Pirna city council, Kathrin Dollinger-Knuth, received 20 percent of the vote in the mayoral election in Pirna at the end of November. The best was 33 percent Tim Lochner, who was nominated by the AfD, was cut off. Second place was Ralf Thiele from the Free Voters with a good 23 percent.