The politics of Thuringia takes place within a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the Federal Government of Germany exercises sovereign rights with certain powers reserved to the states of Germany including Thuringia. The four main parties, following the 2024 elections, are the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), and the left-wing Left Party.

Every five years, all Germans residing in the State over the age of 18 elect the members of the Landtag of Thuringia. This regional parliament or legislature then elects the Minister-President and confirms the cabinet members.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is currently largest party in the Landtag following the 2024 Thuringian state election.[citation needed]

Thuringia is notable for being the first and only state in Germany where The Left (Die Linke) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) have seen its first-ever first place finish in a state election. Die Linke in 2019 and the AfD in 2024.[citation needed]

Thuringia in 1930 saw the first Nazi to hold a ministerial-level post at any level in Germany, with Wilhelm Frick as state Minister of the Interior.[citation needed]

List of minister-presidents of Thuringia

  1. 1990 - 1992: Josef Duchač (CDU)
  2. 1992 - 2003: Bernhard Vogel (CDU)
  3. 2003 - 2009: Dieter Althaus (CDU)
  4. 2009 - 2014: Christine Lieberknecht (CDU)
  5. 2014 - 2020: Bodo Ramelow (Left)
  6. 2020: Thomas Kemmerich (FDP)
  7. 2020 - 2024: Bodo Ramelow (Left)
  8. Since 2024: Mario Voigt (CDU)

Landtag of Thurinigia

Party strength in the Landtag

Election yearTotal seatsSeats won
CDUSPDPDSFDPGrüneLinkeAfDBSW
1990894421996
199488422917
199988491821
200488451528
20098830187627
201491341262811
201990218552922
202488236123215

Legislative compositions

State election result maps

Constituencies in the Landtag

NoConstituencyMember2024201920142009200419991994
1Eichsfeld IThadäus KönigCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
2Eichsfeld IIChristina TaschCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
3Nordhausen IJoerg ProphetAfDLeftCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
4Nordhausen IIKerstin Düben-SchaumannAfDLeftLeftCDUCDUCDUCDU
5Wartburgkreis IUwe KrellAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
6Wartburgkreis II – EisenachUlrike JaryCDUCDUCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
7Wartburgkreis IIIMarcus MalschCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
8Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis IJonas UrbachCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
9Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis IIStefan MöllerAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
10Kyffhäuserkreis I – Eichsfeld IIIStefan SchardCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
11Kyffhäuserkreis IIJens CottaAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
12Schmalkalden-Meiningen IVicien RottstedtAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
13Schmalkalden-Meiningen IIJan AbichtAfDAfDCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
14Gotha IMarcel KramerAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
15Gotha IIStephan SteinbrückAfDSPDSPDSPDCDUCDUCDU
16Sömmerda I – Gotha IIIDaniel HaseloffAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
17Sömmerda IITorsten CzupponAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
18Hildburghausen I – Schmalkalden-Meiningen IIINadine HoffmannAfDAfDCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
19Sonneberg IJürgen TreutlerAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
20Hildburghausen II – Sonneberg IIMelanie BergerAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
21Suhl – Schmalkalden-Meiningen IVTorsten CzupponAfDLeftLeftLeftPDSCDUCDU
22Ilm-Kreis IAndreas BühlCDUCDUCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
23Ilm-Kreis IIOlaf KießlingAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
24Erfurt ISascha CastlesAfDLeftLeftLeftPDSCDUCDU
25Erfurt IITorsten CzupponCDULeftLeftLeftCDUCDUCDU
26Erfurt IIIBodo RamelowLeftLeftCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
27Erfurt IVTorsten CzupponAfDLeftLeftLeftPDSCDUCDU
28Saalfeld-Rudolstadt IThomas BenninghausAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
29Saalfeld-Rudolstadt IIDenis HäußerAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
30Weimarer Land I – Saalfeld-Rudolstadt IIITorsten CzupponAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
31Weimar I – Weimarer Land IIPeter GerhardtAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
32Weimar IIUlrike Grosse-RöthigLeftLeftCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
33Saale-Orla-Kreis IUwe ThrumAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
34Saale-Orla-Kreis IIRingo MühlmannAfDCDUCDULeftCDUCDUCDU
35Saale-Holzland-Kreis IStephan TieslerCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
36Saale-Holzland-Kreis IIWiebke MuhsalAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
37Jena IJens ThomasLeftLeftLeftSPDCDUCDUSPD
38Jena IILena Saniye GüngörLeftLeftLeftLeftCDUCDUSPD
39Greiz IMartina SchweinsburgCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
40Greiz IIChristian TischnerCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
41Gera ITorsten CzupponAfDLeftLeftLeftPDSCDUCDU
42Gera IIWolfganf LauerwaldAfDAfDLeftLeftPDSCDUCDU
43Altenburger Land IThomas HoffmannAfDAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
44Altenburger Land IITorben BragaAfDCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU

Constituencies in the Bundestag

NoConstituencyMember2021Voters20172013200920052002199819941990
188Eichsfeld – Nordhausen – KyffhäuserkreisManfred GrundCDU209,203CDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCDU
189Eisenach – Wartburgkreis – Unstrut-Hainich-KreisKlaus StöberAfD212,267CDUCDUCDUSPDSPDSPDCDUCDU
190Jena – Sömmerda – Weimarer Land IHolger BeckerSPD198,697CDUCDUCDUCDUSPDSPDCDUCDU
191Gotha – Ilm-KreisMarcus BühlAfD190,519CDUCDUCDUSPDSPDSPDCDUCDU
192Erfurt – Weimar – Weimarer Land IICarsten SchneiderSPD217,944CDUCDUCDUSPDCreated for 2005 election
193Gera – Greiz – Altenburger LandStephan BrandnerAfD229,588CDUCDUCDUCDUSPDSPDCDUCDU
194Saalfeld-Rudolstadt – Saale-Holzland-Kreis – Saale-Orla-KreisMichael KaufmannAfD219,437CDUCDUCDUSPDSPDCreated for 2002 election
195Suhl – Schmalkalden-Meiningen – Hildburghausen – SonnebergFrank UllrichSPD230,071CDUCDULeftSPDSPDSPDCDUCDU

Bundestag election results

Election year% won% won
CDUSPDPDSFDPGrüneNDPLinkeAfDBSW
199010045.221.98.314.66.1
199410041.030.217.24.14.9
199810028.934.521.23.43.9
200210029.439.917.05.94.3
200510025.729.87.94.83.726.1
200910031.217.69.86.028.8
201310038.816.12.64.923.46.2
201710028.813.27.84.116.922.7
202110016.923.49.06.611.424.0
202510018.68.82.84.215.238.69.4

See also