Overview
- Carolin Lichtenheld was elected state chair in Ilmenau and Eric Engelhardt became her deputy, reinstating the duo that led the dissolved Junge Alternative in Thuringia.
- Police reported roughly 180 protesters outside Ilmenau’s Hotel Tanne and said the demonstration remained peaceful with no disruption to the meeting.
- About 40 eligible members took part in the founding session, which was attended by Björn Höcke, other Thuringian Bundestag members, and MEP René Aust.
- Thuringia’s AfD is classified by the state domestic intelligence service as firmly right‑wing extremist, and officials have previously seen no moderation in the new youth setup versus the JA.
- State branches also formed in North Rhine‑Westphalia, Schleswig‑Holstein, and Saxony‑Anhalt, with reporting identifying victories for hardline figures, including Identitarian‑linked Florian Ruß in Saxony‑Anhalt.