Overview

• The Verwaltungsgericht Neustadt/Weinstraße ruled Paul’s emergency application inadmissible and directed him to use the post-election Wahlprüfungsverfahren for any challenge.
• Ludwigshafen’s election committee had excluded the AfD politician in early August, citing doubts about his loyalty to Germany’s democratic constitutional order based on Verfassungsschutz and Interior Ministry material.
• Paul can file a complaint with the Oberverwaltungsgericht Rheinland-Pfalz within two weeks of being notified of the decision.
• The September 21 mayoral election will proceed with Paul off the ballot while his legal remedies play out.
• Observers say the case will test the evidentiary standards for barring candidates and reflect courts’ efforts to safeguard electoral stability by postponing eligibility disputes until after voting.