Wetzlar (dpa/lhe) - The Hessian FDP has chosen Stefan Naas as its top candidate for the 2023 state elections. The Liberals elected the 49-year-old at their party meeting in Wetzlar on Saturday with 277 out of 297 valid votes. This corresponded to an approval of around 93 percent. "We are going into this state election as an independent force. With me there will be no second-vote election campaign," said Naas in front of around 300 delegates who had come together in Wetzlar for a party conference and a state representative meeting. "We need both votes for the Hessian FDP because it's necessary. We want to end black and green."

The member of parliament Naas is a lawyer and in the parliamentary group among other things spokesman for transport and economic policy. Naas had already been proposed as the top candidate in the summer. There was no opposing candidate for the top spot in the state list.

In the last election in 2018, the FDP got 7.5 percent of the votes. The party has eleven seats in the state parliament. The next state elections in Hesse are to take place next autumn.