Lawmakers Set to Elect Germany’s 1st Far-Right Statehouse Speaker Since 1945

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.

周二，萨克森-安哈尔特州的一次通常的程序性投票变得具有历史意义，极右翼政党德国另类选择党（AfD）的托比亚斯·劳施当选该州议会议长。这是自纳粹时代以来首次有极右翼政客担任这一职位。德国国内情报部门将AfD labeling为“疑似极端分子”，在最近的立法选举中，该党赢得了83个席位中的39个。在匿名投票中，劳施获得了48票，表明尽管主流政党公开拒绝与AfD合作，但仍获得了一些主流政党成员的支持。这位35岁的议长将负责监督立法议程、议会官僚机构和礼仪职责，包括主持犹太人大屠杀纪念活动。更重大的挑战将在12月到来，当时议会将选举州长。AfD的候选人乌利希·齐格蒙德面临不确定的投票，而基督教民主党的斯文·舒尔茨则担任代理州长。该党的纲领侧重于联邦一级的反移民和反建制政策，但在州一级，它计划强调教育和文化。在竞选期间，齐格蒙德提议将学校隔离，并将彩虹旗换成德国国旗。AfD试图增加其委员会席位，但在面临诉讼威胁后退缩。它仍计划设立第二个副议长席位以获得更多控制权。象征性地，该党搬到了议会中心，而绿党则位于最右边。尽管赢得了44%的选票，但AfD仍比多数席位少三个席位。主流政党拒绝结盟，但新的边缘政党萨拉·瓦格内克特联盟支持劳施，以换取一个副议长职位。然而，它不会支持齐格蒙德担任州长。

关键实体：人物：托比亚斯·劳施、乌利希·齐格蒙德、斯文·舒尔茨、萨拉·瓦格内克特 | 地点：萨克森-安哈尔特州、德国

FAQ：托比亚斯·劳施当选萨克森-安哈尔特州议会议长有何意义？

这是自1945年以来首次有极右翼政客当选领导德国州立法机构，标志着该国战后政治共识的重大转变。

FAQ 问题：托比亚斯·劳施当选萨克森-安哈尔特州议会议长有何意义？

FAQ 答案：这是自1945年以来首次有极右翼政客当选领导德国州立法机构，标志着该国战后政治共识的重大转变。