End of a Difficult Relationship: Thuringian FDP State Chief Kemmerich Leaves Party
Thuringia‘s former short-term Prime Minister, Thomas Kemmerich, has announced his departure from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) after 20 years of membership. Kemmerich, 60, cited diverging views on the future of the country and the party’s direction as the reason for his decision, communicating his withdrawal in a letter to FDP leader christian Dürr, which he later shared on X (formerly Twitter).He has confirmed the authenticity of the document but has not yet publicly commented further on his departure.
Kemmerich gained national prominence on February 5, 2020, when he was unexpectedly elected Prime Minister of Thuringia with the support of votes from the CDU, AfD, and FDP. The AfD votes proved decisive in his election. While he accepted the position, Kemmerich was unable to form a government and did not appoint ministers, triggering a significant political crisis in Thuringia. Following widespread protests and internal party pressure, he resigned three days later, serving as Prime Minister for only a few weeks.
His relationship with the federal FDP has been strained since the 2020 election.Despite a disappointing result in the September 2023 state election – the FDP received 1.1% of the vote, narrowly avoiding falling behind the animal welfare party – Kemmerich was reaffirmed as state chairman by Thuringian liberals with 70.9% support in October.
Earlier this year, after the FDP’s exit from the Bundestag in February, Kemmerich advocated for a revitalization of the party, even suggesting the possibility of a split. He stated to the news portal The Pioneer that he would be compelled to found a new liberal party ”if the left-wing liberals prevail at the party congress.”
Kemmerich, an entrepreneur who owns a hairdressing chain in Thuringia, served as state chairman of the FDP for ten years and previously held positions in both the Thuringian state parliament and the bundestag.He has consistently expressed dissatisfaction with the FDP’s current course and was an early critic of the traffic light coalition government in Berlin. Recently, he was seen with Frauke Petry, the former chairwoman of the AfD, who has also announced plans to establish a new political party.
the FDP’s reaction to Kemmerich’s departure was measured. Christian Dürr stated, “The FDP wants to be a strong freedom of reform and not a niche offer. In view of the poor balance of the federal government, it is obvious that it will need the more urgent than ever,” adding, “I respect that thomas Kemmerich didn’t want to go with this path.”
Within the Thuringian FDP, the proclamation was described as both sudden and unsurprising. Landespartei-Vice Robert-Martin montag noted that Kemmerich had long struggled with the party’s discourse culture. Dirk Bergner, another deputy chairman of the Thuringian FDP, criticized the manner of the departure, stating, “Not a nice decision, especially not a good style, since not to communicate in advance.” Though, he also expressed optimism that the move would provide an opportunity to reorganize the Thuringian FDP. The state board is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the situation.