Jürgen Braun: AfD power play ends with no place for the ex-MP!

Jürgen Braun: AfD power play ends with no place for the ex-MP!

Jürgen Braun, the former AfD member of the Bundestag, suffered an unpleasant defeat at the AfD's most recent list party conference in Heilbronn. He was not given a place on the state list, which suggests that he has been sidelined within the party. This development could significantly reduce his chances of entering the state parliament in the upcoming 2026 election, as prominent politicians such as Daniel Lindenschmid and Stephan Schwarz are at the top of the list and therefore have better prospects of entering the Stuttgart parliament. ZVW reports that…

Jürgen Friedrich Braun, born on August 25, 1961 in Bergneustadt, has had a remarkable career in the German political spectrum. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 2017 to 2025 and originally began his political career as a member of the CDU before switching to the AfD in 2013. His professional career includes various positions as head of television editorial departments in several cities as well as work as an independent communications consultant and lecturer in the field of journalism. Braun is also known as an honorary judge at the Stuttgart Administrative Court. Wikipedia mentions that...

Political turning points

Braun's political career was marked by several notable events. On September 24, 2019, he was voted out as parliamentary manager by his parliamentary group, a step that already pointed to internal tensions in the AfD. In 2021 he saw himself as a member of the Bundestag again, but this was only tenth place on the Baden-Württemberg state list. In October 2024 he announced that he would no longer run for office in the following federal election. His most recent candidacy for the Fürstenfeldbruck federal constituency was unsuccessful, which led him to focus on the upcoming state election in 2026. Wikipedia highlights...

Aside from his personal political ambitions, Braun has also taken positions on various social issues. He spoke out against possible diesel driving bans and was known in the past for his critical statements about the police. For example, he criticized a criminal complaint against the AfD politician Beatrix von Storch and also made negative comments about the Thuringian AfD state chairman Björn Höcke. All of this shows that he is not afraid to represent controversial positions within his party and is classified as a “national conservative”. Wikipedia documents that...

Outlook for the future

With missing out on a place on the state list and the lack of a clear course for the future, Braun and his supporters in the AfD face major challenges. Intra-party rivalries appear to have increased, raising questions about whether he may need to recalibrate his political ambitions. Against this background, the prospects of a return to active state politics appear increasingly uncertain.