Seven German opposition party candidates die weeks before elections

The “statistically conspicuous” deaths are “hard to explain,” the party’s deputy head has said

The right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has reported what one of its senior members is calling a “statistically conspicuous” series of deaths among its candidates just weeks before local elections in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. A total of seven party members, including five main candidates and two “reserve” ones, have died over the past few weeks.

The deaths were reported by the party between August 19 and September 3 – all before the local elections scheduled for September 14. The list included local AfD politicians aged between 42 and 80 in several municipalities across the region, according to the media.

The party’s deputy regional chairman, Kay Gottschalk, told Die Welt TV that there was “no indication” of “murder or anything similar.” The police also said they found no indication of any foul play, according to broadcaster ARD. The news still prompted speculation on the internet.

The regional election committee has stated that it cannot find anything out of the ordinary. The committee is aware of a total of 16 deaths of candidates for the local elections, including members of a dozen political parties and associations, it said, adding that the numbers had “not significantly increased” in comparison to other election cycles.

AfD candidates still account for some 43% of all deaths reported by the committee, with all other affected political groups each confirming just one candidate death. An AfD deputy head and a Bundestag MP, Stephan Brandner, called the numbers “statistically conspicuous,” adding that they are “hard to explain.”

Some 20,000 seats will be up for grabs in the upcoming elections, according to Die Welt.

The right-wing party has steadily gained popularity in Germany. A poll conducted in mid-August suggested that it had overtaken Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc to become the country’s most popular force.

The German domestic security service designated it a “confirmed far-right extremist” group in May, prompting the AfD to challenge the label in court. The German justice minister mulled banning the party altogether later the same month.

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