Pirna's new mayor Tim Lochner officially in office

Pirna's new mayor Tim Lochner officially took office on Monday. The independent local politician stood for the AfD in the election and was elected to the top seat in the town hall in the second round of voting in December. He beat candidates from the CDU and the Free Voters. Lochner was already ahead in the first round of voting. His public swearing-in ceremony is planned for the city council meeting on March 26, as announced by the city administration.

Lochner, born in 1970, comes from Pirna and trained as a wood model maker. He became a master carpenter in 1993, followed by a degree in restoration. Former CDU member Lochner has been an active member of Pirna town council since 2014. By his own admission, he has no ambitions to join the AfD. Last December, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the Saxon state association of the AfD as a right-wing extremist organization. Lochner did not see this as a problem for himself.