Michael Frisch

Michael Büge, a 60-year-old politician, is the newly elected parliamentary group leader (Fraktionschef) of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag (state parliament). He is newsworthy because he recently replaced Jan Bollinger, the AfD's top candidate in the recent state election, in a leadership vote. Despite Bollinger leading the AfD to a record result in the election, the parliamentary group voted 18 to 6 in favor of Büge during the constituent session. This internal power struggle within the AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate, specifically the ousting of Bollinger so soon after the election, highlights potential divisions and conflicts within the party and makes Büge's new role significant in understanding the future direction of the AfD in the state.