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Frohnmaier as AfD prime ministerial candidate: Off to new shores!
On May 31, 2025, Markus Frohnmaier will run as candidate for prime minister for the 2026 state elections at the AfD party conference in Heilbronn.
Frohnmaier as AfD prime ministerial candidate: Off to new shores!
On Saturday morning, Markus Frohnmaier announced his candidacy for the office of Prime Minister at the AfD state party conference in Heilbronn. Almost 400 delegates came together in the “Harmonie” congress center to draw up the state list for the upcoming state elections in Baden-Württemberg on March 8, 2026. The mood was positive, so Frohnmaier was elected with much applause and only one dissenting vote. [Süddeutsche] reports that the regional association was previously considered divided, but now appeared united in Heilbronn.
The 34-year-old Frohnmaier, who has been a member of the Bundestag since 2017 and is considered a close confidant of AfD leader Alice Weidel, called for a tougher migration policy in his speech. Among other things, he suggested building an additional runway at Stuttgart Airport in order to increase deportations. The AfD is doing increasingly better in the polls. After only 9.7 percent of the vote in the last election in 2021, the party is currently at 19 percent and sees itself in direct competition with the Greens.
Frohnmaier and the challenges
Although Frohnmaier was well received by the delegates, his chances of becoming prime minister are considered slim. Experts warn that the AfD is unlikely to achieve an absolute majority in the state elections and cooperation with other parties is ruled out. Frohnmaier has also decided not to run for the state parliament, but would like to continue his work in the Bundestag if his premiership does not come about.
In recent years, the AfD has been classified as right-wing extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which could have a significant impact on the election campaign. While the party is taking legal action against this classification, the Baden-Württemberg regional association is currently classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case. [Voice] points out that the AfD is under observation at both the federal and state levels.
Reactions to development
The AfD faces the challenge of dealing not only with internal disputes but also with growing public opposition. The year ahead until the state elections could be crucial for the party as it tries to assert itself as a serious contender in the political arena.