Election crime in the district: Sternberg wins despite unfair tactics!

Election crime in the district: Sternberg wins despite unfair tactics!

In an exciting election decision, Stefan Sternberg from the SPD was re-elected as district administrator for the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. With 57.9 percent of the vote, he won the trust of voters for another seven years. But the path to this election victory was anything but free of controversy. How NDR reports, the election campaign was accompanied by strong allegations that Sternberg had gained unfair advantages.

A central topic of criticism is the numerous large posters and the aggressive presence on social media. His political opponents accuse him of exceeding the limits of a fair election campaign. Transparency International has criticized Sternberg for a lack of transparency regarding his ties to prominent supporters.

Criticism and supporters

In fact, Sternberg won not only thanks to his own political career, but also through the support of well-known “testimonials”. These include Jörg Klingohr, the operator of the Golchener Hof, Gerd Kropf, a retired brigadier general, and the head of the Lübzer brewery, Bastian Pochstein. Klingenhor and Kropf have received significant amounts from the district treasury in recent years, which left a bad taste in the mouth of his opponents. During the pandemic, Klingohr received over 75,000 euros for the use of his facility for district council meetings, while Kropf's consulting firm received between 110,000 euros from the district budget.

“There is something going on,” says CDU district chairman Wolfgang Waldmüller, who expresses his criticism of the election campaign practices in quiet tones. Philipp Lübbert from the Greens also speaks of a “gray area” and calls for better disclosure of economic relationships. At the same time, the SPD praises its own nomination: 98.5 percent of delegates voted for Sternberg in January 2025, which underlines the broad support within the party. Christine Klingohr and Willem Smakman emphasized both the successes of the previous district administrator and the need for continuity in local politics.

A look into the future

With a view to the coming years, Sternberg has formulated clear goals. He would like to improve outpatient health care in conjunction with the LUP clinics. Further plans include expanding the on-call bus system and the e-bus fleet as well as testing autonomous bus trips. But Sternberg also plans to make investments in education, transport infrastructure and security that are based on sound budget policies, as can be seen from his election promises.

Today it is clear how challenging campaign management has become. The boundaries between election campaigns and other political activities are becoming increasingly blurred. Election campaigns are no longer just a sudden shift towards communication strategies; They often begin years in advance with careful preparation that goes through various phases - from the initial planning to the hot phase shortly before the election. How bpb explains, media presence plays a crucial role in effectively mobilizing voters.

The re-election of Stefan Sternberg raises many questions that go beyond the election victory. In a political environment that is constantly changing and in which transparency is becoming increasingly important, it remains to be seen how the coming years will develop in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district.