Overview

• The debate with AfD state leader Markus Frohnmaier is set for 5 September at Tübingen’s Hermann-Hepper-Halle and is already sold out.
• The AfD secured 100 reserved seats for supporters, a move drawing scrutiny in a city where the party fared worst nationwide in the 2025 federal election.
• Die Linke MP Luigi Pantisano accused Boris Palmer of granting the far right a stage and called him a willing helper of fascists, urging blockades of the event.
• Palmer rebutted on Facebook by citing his family’s persecution under the Nazis, calling the charges historically wrong, and arguing that blockades would only help the AfD while reaffirming a political firewall against the party.
• The event stems from the AfD canceling a planned Tübingen demonstration in return for a public debate, with Frohnmaier now fronting the party’s push as lead candidate for the 2026 Baden-Württemberg vote.