A normally routine procedural vote in Saxony-Anhalt became historic on Tuesday as Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was elected president of the state parliament. This marks the first time a far-right politician has held such a position since the Nazi era. The AfD, labeled "suspected extremist" by Germany's domestic intelligence service, won 39 of 83 seats in the recent legislative election.
In the anonymous vote, Rausch received 48 votes, suggesting support from some mainstream party members despite their public refusal to collaborate with the AfD. The 35-year-old will now oversee the legislative agenda, parliamentary bureaucracy, and ceremonial duties, including hosting Holocaust memorials. A more significant challenge lies ahead in December when the parliament elects the minister president.
The AfD's candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, faces an uncertain vote, while Sven Schulze of the Christian Democrats remains acting governor. The party's platform focuses on anti-immigration and anti-establishment policies at the federal level, but at the state level, it plans to emphasize education and culture. During the campaign, Siegmund proposed segregating schools and replacing rainbow flags with German flags.
The AfD attempted to increase its committee seats but backed down after threats of lawsuits. It still aims to create a second vice-presidential seat for more control. Symbolically, the party moved to the center of the chamber, with the Greens on the far right.
Despite winning 44% of the vote, the AfD fell three seats short of a majority. Mainstream parties have refused coalitions, but the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, a new fringe party, supported Rausch in exchange for a vice-presidency. However, it will not support Siegmund for governor.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing