Sternberg's re -election: Fair Play or election campaign with shade?

Sternberg's re -election: Fair Play or election campaign with shade?

On June 17, 2025, the district elections took place in several counties in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the results of which sometimes provide a substitute for discussion. Above all, the re-election of Stefan Sternberg (SPD) in the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim. Remarkably, he got 58 percent of the votes in the first ballot. In addition to this impressive performance, however, the question of the fairness of his election campaign, which is discussed on various sides. According to Nordkurier , many voters were very conscious and without external pressure at work.

A sensational aspect of the election campaign was the use of joint posters and videos with well -known supporters, including the farmer Korl, Jörg Klingohr, and Brigadiereral a.d. Gerd Kropf. Between 2020 and 2024, these two people had economic connections to the district and thus caused a lot of discussions. While Sternberg emphasizes that the support is based on "mutual respect and friendly solidarity", the North German Rundfunk criticizes the circumstances as possibly unfair.

criticism of the election campaign

Many political opponents, including Dietmar Friedhoff (AfD) and Simone Borchardt (CDU), expressed his concerns about the campaign practice and the presence of Sternberg. In particular, the meeting of economic interests and political advertising raises questions. Although the regional SPD assures that the expenses in the upper five -digit range, i.e. less than 100,000 euros, were and were not more expensive than seven years ago, the impression of inequality remains. In fact, Sternberg relied on a large number of large posters and an aggressive social media strategy, which were indeed strongly noticeable, such as Tageschau reported.

Transparency International also jumped on the train. Although you see no other problems with the election advertising of the goiter and Klingohr, but call for more transparency regarding the interdependencies between Sternberg and its advertising partners. In particular, it is criticized that equal opportunities for other candidates are at risk. "A gray area has emerged here," says the Green candidate Philipp Lübbert and thus gets to the point of what many go through the head in a circle.

A look at the election campaign

How do you control an election campaign that appeals to both supporters and the undecided? This is a central concern in the election campaign management, which usually begins long before the elections. Preparation for such events often absorbs a year in advance, as can be seen from the strategies for election campaigns. Correspondingly, are presented to central topics months before the election to introduce voters to their own program as best as possible, as Bundestag elections BW shown.

In the case of Stefan Sternberg, the question arises whether his strategy has succeeded or whether it ultimately shows mistakes that could still take revenge in the coming months. In view of the critical voices and the challenges that public perception also brings with it, it can be curious how his mandate will shape the next steps.