Debate about legal loopholes follows OB election in Aue

Saxony's SPD leader Henning Homann believes a new regulation for the nomination of candidates for mayoral elections is necessary. The background to this is the case of Aue-Bad Schlema, where Stefan Hartung from the far-right Free Saxons was only narrowly defeated by Marcus Hoffmann (CDU) in the second round of voting on Sunday. Hartung's non-admission to the election was not possible due to the current laws in Saxony, but only his non-appointment after the election, said Homann in Dresden.

Homann: Making the state more resilient against enemies of the constitution

"I believe that it is not a good situation if it is only established after the election that Stefan Hartung could never have become mayor because he does not meet the requirements - in terms of loyalty to the constitution," explained Homann. If he would not have been appointable anyway, then it would make no sense to put him to the vote. "I think it is very important that we make our country more resilient against enemies of the constitution."

Some people don't care if they vote for a right-wing extremist

Homann expressed his relief that Hartung was not successful. "We are glad that Stefan Hartung was not elected." The result shows once again that there are people in this country who vote for the far right out of conviction. And there is "obviously a section that doesn't care whether they vote for a right-wing extremist (...) That is something that worries me greatly."

Civil servants must be above reproach

The SPD leader is not talking about ordinary members of local parliaments, but about offices in which the people concerned are temporary civil servants. In order to become a civil servant in this country, you have to be above reproach at all times in terms of constitutional compliance. "Stefan Hartung would not have fulfilled this criterion."

According to the Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Free Saxons, of which Hartung is vice president, is a "group of neo-National Socialists, Die Heimat functionaries and other scene members or sympathizers organized as a party". Their anti-constitutional activities are directed against the existence of the federal government, it says.