A neo-Nazi candidate surprisingly lost a mayoral election by a narrow margin in the eastern state of Saxony. Many feel a sense of relief. However, a single victory does not eliminate the extremism problem.
The small municipality of Aue-Bad Schlema seldom makes national news in Germany. Situated in the Ore Mountains near the German-Czech border in southeastern Saxony, it is encircled by scenic woodlands and is a long way from the activity of major urban centers.
In this historic mining area, residents maintain strong ties to their heritage and take pride in upholding customs such as brass band music, nutcrackers, and the well-known decorative Christmas pyramids.
Yet the near-win of a candidate from a party formally designated as far-right-extremist has left a lasting impact in Aue-Bad Schlema.
"When you walk through the town today, you see happy people. But that can be deceptive," Jürgen Freitag told DW.
Freitag is an editor at Freie Presse (Free Press), a newspaper that covers the Ore Mountains.
"Appearances can be deceptive," Freitag said. "I see the town's atmosphere as split."
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Stefan Hartung, a far-right politician from the Freie Sachsen (Free Saxons) party, came close to being elected the town's mayor. He garnered roughly 47% of the vote in the June 7 runoff election, losing by a slight margin to Marcus Hoffmann of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who obtained 53%.
Hartung originates from Bad Schlema and has been engaged in local politics for many years. He was formerly a member of the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), which Germany's highest court has characterized as having an ideology akin to Nazism.
He serves as deputy chairman of the Freie Sachsen party, which in Germany is viewed as even more extreme than the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), itself formally classified as extremist in Saxony. The state domestic intelligence service describes it as follows: "Freie Sachsen is a grouping of neo-National Socialists organized as a political party."
The party's campaigns against immigrants in Germany are particularly extreme. They provoke hostility toward refugees and migrants, broadly accuse them of causing violence in the country, and demand mass deportations.
Thus far, the party has not achieved any significant political successes. In Saxony's most recent state elections, it obtained just over 2% of the vote. In the 2024 local elections, it stayed under 5% across the board.
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State of democracy remains a concern
The Freie Sachsen party has now captured national attention after reaching Aue-Bad Schlema's mayoral runoff — a result stemming from substantial investment.
"It was worse than during the federal election," Felix Sell told DW. He works locally for the Competence Center for Community Work, promoting social cohesion in Aue-Bad Schlema. "There was a massive campaign for Stefan Hartung," he said, adding that it clearly made an impression on many people. "That scared us."
Sell is relieved that Hoffmann won the election, partly because he is not a "typical career politician." Hopes are now placed on him: "We need to come together, and everyone has to do their part."
The overall condition of democracy in Germany remains a worry. Sell said that people in Aue-Bad Schlema are becoming less concerned about whom they elect, even when the candidate is a far-right extremist. "Citizens are deeply disappointed with politics."
Freitag shares this perspective. For him, the election outcome mirrors a nationwide pattern: Far-right extremists are gaining backing across Germany, not just in Aue-Bad Schlema. "Not all of Hartung's voters can be labeled as far-right extremists; however, this election must not be minimized either," he cautions.
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The Freie Sachsen party may succeed in building on well-established far-right structures in this town and across the Ore Mountains.
It's not only nutcrackers and brass bands that have a long tradition in this region — so do anti-democratic movements and far-right extremists. Shortly after German reunification, in the early 1990s, neo-Nazi groups formed in the area, and members of the anti-democratic Reichsbürger movement, which rejects the current German state as illegitimate in favor of the German Reich, began to settle there.
The far-right National Socialist Underground (NSU) group, which killed 10 people across Germany in a terrorist killing spree that long went uninvestigated, also found fertile ground there, with Andre Eminger becoming one of its closest associates. The NSU's motive: racism.
Despite a population of only about 19,000 people, the Ore Mountains are marked by a vibrant civil society. Aue-Bad Schlema boasts more than 300 associations. Felix Sell said the election had sparked change: The town's associations are drawing closer together — for democracy and diversity. "In the past, the network was weak," Sell said. "It didn't really function. But, now, something is beginning to develop."
This article has been translated from German.