Social media rife with conspiracy theories after 16 candidates die ahead of German local elections

By&nbspEuronews

Published on 05/09/2025 - 16:30 GMT+2

The predetermination supervisor successful nan occidental German authorities of North Rhine-Westphalia has told nan media that nan authority is alert of 16 candidates dying successful nan run-up to this month's section elections.

Elections will return spot successful nan authorities connected 14 September and voters will take district, municipal and metropolis councils, arsenic good arsenic mayors successful astir cities and territory administrators.

But predetermination officials opportunity they are not concerned by nan number of deaths and don't see it importantly high.

But speculation has been rife connected societal media owed to nan rising number of deaths among candidates representing nan far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

At nan opening of September, 4 candidates for nan AfD were reported dead, and conscionable days later that tally had risen to seven.

AfD co-chair Alice Weidel shared nan news successful a station connected nan societal media level X saying only, "Four AfD candidates dead."

The first 4 deaths were among candidates representing nan towns of Bad Lippspringe, Blomberg, Rheinberg and Schwerte.

No grounds of foul play, constabulary say

State constabulary looking into nan first 4 deaths, which were announced connected 1 September, told nan German Press Agency (dpa) that location was nary grounds of immoderate 3rd statement involvement.

Only successful 1 lawsuit was an charismatic investigation launched which didn’t uncover immoderate grounds of foul play.

The different 3 fatalities were wished to person died successful circumstances that were not deemed suspicious.

Of nan candidates whose deaths were announced connected 2 September, 1 died of kidney nonaccomplishment while nan different committed suicide.

On 3 September, nan AfD branch successful Remscheid told Politico that their campaigner for Kremenholl was an 80-year-old who died of earthy causes aft a agelong illness.

Kay Gottschalk, nan AfD authorities vice-president, said connected Politico’s "Berlin Playbook" podcast that location was nary logic to position nan deaths arsenic thing different than a coincidence.

Nevertheless, it is planned to analyse nan cases "without instantly getting into conspiracy mentation territory," he said.

North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s third-largest authorities by area and has a organization of much than 18 million.

More than 20,000 group are moving for seats successful nan state.