Overview

• Christian Hartphiel of the SPD defeated AfD candidate Christian Bork in the Templin mayoral runoff with 53.8% of the vote to Bork’s 46.2%.
• The runoff followed a first-round vote where Bork led with 31.4% over Hartphiel’s 27.4%, necessitating a second round.
• A broad centrist coalition, including support from Die Linke, rallied behind Hartphiel to prevent an AfD victory in the town.
• Templin, a symbolic location as Angela Merkel’s hometown, has historically resisted AfD advances despite the party’s strong local support.
• The AfD remains under scrutiny after being classified as extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, the Verfassungsschutz.