AfD leader Urban makes MP candidacy official

AfD party and parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban has made his candidacy for the office of Minister President official. He will submit a corresponding application, Urban said in Dresden. However, he does not want to reveal whether he will enter the ring in the first round on Wednesday. He emphasized that he would not disclose his candidacy strategy.

In the state parliament election, incumbent Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is standing for re-election. Matthias Berger, the candidate of the Free Voters, is also running. An absolute majority of votes is required in the first round of voting. This means that 61 of the 120 members of parliament must vote in favor. In the second ballot, a majority of the votes cast is sufficient. The vote takes place by secret ballot.

Urban made it clear that Kretschmer would not receive a vote from the ranks of the AfD. He justified this with Kretschmer's "left-wing course". He was hoping for votes on loan from the left and the Greens. Kretschmer would thus join the "left-wing bloc" and continue to pursue left-wing policies.