Hildburghausen (dpa/th) - Despite warnings from the Thuringian SPD, Social Democrats in Hildburghausen, together with AfD city councillors, have launched a voting procedure against the left-wing mayor there. Hildburghausen Mayor Tilo Kummer told the German Press Agency on Friday that he assumes that he will survive the vote-out procedure. At the city council meeting on Thursday evening, all city councilors present and eligible to vote except for the six left-wing members voted to open the voting procedure. The newspaper "Freies Wort" had previously reported on the city council meeting.
A two-thirds majority was required. The SPD deputies could have prevented the procedure.
Thuringia's SPD leader Georg Maier had warned his party colleagues in advance against making common cause with the AfD and right-wing extremists. A member of the far-right voters' association Bündnis-Zukunft-Hildburghausen (BZH) also sits on the Hildburghausen city council. In the 2019 report for the protection of the constitution, BZH was described as the "leading right-wing extremist association in the Hildburghausen district".
"Anyone who, together with the AfD and right-wing extremists, supports a motion against a democratically elected mayor must put up with the question of whether this is compatible with the basic anti-fascist values of our party," said Maier after the vote. Democracy and the SPD in Thuringia were damaged as a result. Maier referred to mediation talks between the state SPD and the district association, which gave reason to expect a solution. "All the greater is our bewilderment."
In the vote-out motion, the signatories had argued that the relationship of trust between the citizens and the mayor was disturbed. Concerned residents have sometimes contacted the city council personally because they are dissatisfied with his administration.
The deselection procedure now provides that the local authority sets a date for the vote. A spokeswoman for the municipal supervision in the Hildburghausen district office explained that the question of whether Kummer should be voted out will be voted on. At least a third of those entitled to vote would have to vote in favor of it, and more yes votes than no votes would generally be required for Kummer to be voted out. If the deselection is successful, the next step would be a new election of the mayor.
