Sternberg's re-election: Controversial election campaign causes excitement!

Sternberg's re-election: Controversial election campaign causes excitement!

The elections for district administrator in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district took place on May 11, 2025, in which Stefan Sternberg from the SPD clearly secured his re-election with 57.9 percent of the votes. But as soon as he took office again, the election campaign that led to this victory was overshadowed by strong criticism. The election campaign is described as unfair as opponents accuse Sternberg of gaining advantages through excessive advertising and big appearances. This is reported by NDR.

One of the central points of criticism concerns the number of large posters and the extensive presence on social media, which speak against the spirit of fair elections. The CDU and the Greens in particular express concerns that the equal opportunities of other candidates are at risk due to aggressive advertising practices. CDU district chairman Wolfgang Waldmüller quietly criticizes the format of the election campaign, while Green candidate Philipp Lübbert describes the whole thing as a “gray area” and criticizes the lack of transparency about economic relationships.

Criticism of transparency

The accusations don't stop. Transparency International has taken Sternberg to task for a lack of transparency regarding his ties to his campaigners. Among these “testimonials” are some well-known personalities such as Jörg Klingohr, head of the Golchener Hof, and Gerd Kropf, retired brigadier general and disaster control expert. According to the critical reports, Klingohr cashed in almost 60,000 euros for services from the district between 2020 and 2024, while Kropf and his company received around 110,000 euros from the district treasury in recent years for disaster protection services. This gives opponents further material for their arguments against Sternberg's election campaign.

Surprisingly, however, the SPD emphasizes that the election campaign was no more expensive than it was seven years ago, with costs in the upper five-figure range, less than 100,000 euros. This argument is supported by the chairmen of the SPD district association, Christine Klingohr and Willem Smakman. Both praise Sternberg's successes and his ability to lead the district through crises. This continuity should also form the basis for its future projects and investments, which include, among other things, improvements in outpatient healthcare, the expansion of the on-call bus system and the testing of autonomous bus driving.

A look at future goals

As for the future, Sternberg not only wants to make a difference in healthcare, but also make further progress in education, security and infrastructure development. The successful nomination of 98.5 percent of the delegates on January 11th during a general meeting shows that Sternberg has strong support within his party. In comparison to the turbulent elections in 2025, the question arises as to how he will address the criticisms raised by the election campaign in his new term in office.

In an age in which mass media plays a central role in election campaigns - both to inform and to mobilize voters - it remains to be seen how Sternberg and his team will respond to the prevailing issues. The fact that the media makes presence essential for election campaign strategies could be crucial for the SPD. Studies show that reporting on candidates can significantly influence their public perception. In this context, it is important to examine how Sternberg can create transparency in the future in order to gain and maintain the trust of voters, reported the Federal Agency for Civic Education.