▁the ▁Er furt ▁Academy ▁for ▁V oc ational ▁Studies . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁In a ▁Le u ke feld ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁German ▁Youth ▁( You ng ▁Commun ists ) ▁in ▁her ▁youth . ▁She ▁joined ▁East ▁Germany ' s ▁r uling ▁Social ist ▁Unity ▁Party ▁(" S oz ial istische ▁Ein heits par tei ▁Deutsch lands " ▁/ ▁S ED ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁she ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁party ' s ▁district ▁leadership ▁team ▁(" K re is leitung ") ▁in ▁her ▁home ▁town , ▁Su hl . ▁ ▁As ▁reun ification ▁progress ed ▁during ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁S ED ▁began ▁to ▁rein vent ▁itself ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁a ▁more ▁dem ocr atic ▁future . ▁That ▁year ▁Le u ke feld ▁worked ▁in ▁Er furt ▁and ▁Su hl ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁executive ▁in ▁the ▁Th uring ia ▁region ▁for ▁what ▁was ▁now ▁re brand ing ▁itself ▁as ▁the ▁Party ▁of ▁Democratic ▁Social ism ▁( P DS ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁municipal ▁council ▁in ▁Su hl . ▁She ▁stood ▁as ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁mayor ▁of ▁Su hl ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁but ▁the ▁campaign ing ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁election ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁sudden ▁emer gence ▁of ▁reports ▁about ▁her ▁activities ▁as ▁a ▁government ▁inform er ▁during ▁the ▁dict ator