A politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was sworn in as a district administrator on Wednesday, following his shock victory in a local election in June.
Robert Sesselmann formally took office in the Sonneberg district in the state of Thuringia after emerging the victor in a run-off election on June 25.
When taking his oath of office, Sesselmann swore to uphold Germany's federal constitution and Thuringia's state constitution as well as all applicable laws and to fulfil his official duties conscientiously and impartially.
After the ceremony, Sesselmann received flowers and applause from the audience and from some legislators.
Still, many council members notably did not applaud. And district council member Manfred Franke, who administered the oath of office, made a point to stress at the ceremony the importance of open, fair and democratic cooperation in the district council.
Sesselmann had declined all interview requests before the ceremony.
The 50-year-old was the first AfD candidate to win an election of this kind.
The AfD, a populist party formed in 2013 on a eurosceptic platform, has shifted farther and farther to the right over the years.
IT saw huge gains at the national level in 2017, propelling it to become the largest opposition party in the Bundestag in Berlin.
While support declined in the next federal election in 2021, it has staged a comeback by capitalizing on discontent over migration, the economy and climate policies.
Coming against the background of strong polling by the AfD nationwide - notching up voter support of around 20% in some polls - the local election led to a heated debate among mainstream parties and political analysts about the direction of Germany's democracy.
Sonneberg, with its population of 57,000, is one of the country's smallest districts.
The AfD in Thuringia is under observation by the domestic intelligence services after being officially listed as extremist.
