The policy of not cooperating with the AfD, which has long been considered one of the red lines that should not be crossed in German politics, was put to a remarkable test in Saxony-Anhalt.
According to Reuters, Tobias Rausch, the candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), was elected the new speaker of the state parliament, becoming the first AfD politician to reach one of the highest positions in a German state legislature.
What made Rausch's election even more remarkable was the arithmetic of the vote. Although the total number of seats in parliament for the AfD and the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) was 44, Rausch received 48 votes in the secret ballot. The result revealed that the AfD candidate received support from at least four other MPs in addition to BSW.
Thus, the future of the policy called 'Brandmauer' (firewall), which is implemented by mainstream parties in Germany to prevent cooperation with the AfD, has been opened to discussion again.
Founded in 2013 as an anti-European Union movement, AfD increased its voter support by increasingly toughening its anti-immigration policy, especially after approximately 1 million refugees came to Germany in 2015. The party has become a strong political actor, especially among voters in the east of the country who have moved away from mainstream political parties.
SYMBOLIC VICTORY FROM AfD
The first parliamentary session, held within 30 days after the election in accordance with the state constitution, produced a result of symbolic importance for the AfD.
Tobias Rausch, a 35-year-old real estate entrepreneur and close to AfD's candidate for state prime minister, Ulrich Siegmund, occupied one of the highest positions in the parliament.
In his speech after taking office, Rausch called on MPs to work together and used the following statement:
“The era of political firewalls must be a thing of the past.”
AfD finished first in the elections held in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, but fell three seats short of the absolute majority targeted by Siegmund. Despite its election victory, the party has so far been unable to secure the necessary support to form a government.
Siegmund stated that the first vote in the parliament for the state premiership will be held in December and that he aims to find the necessary support within this period.
POSSIBILITY OF AfD-BSW COOPERATION
The vote in which Rausch was elected was also closely watched as it showed to what extent the AfD could rely on BSW's support in the future.
BSW is the only party that does not openly exclude cooperation with the AfD. However, the party rejects the possibility of forming a coalition government with the AfD.
BSW, which opposes mass immigration like the AfD and wants the re-establishment of energy relations with Russia, announced that it will abstain from voting for Siegmund's position as state prime minister.
This could theoretically pave the way for an AfD minority government with outside support or passive tolerance from BSW. However, Siegmund has previously rejected such a model, arguing that it would make him too dependent on the smaller party BSW.
Siegmund also raised the possibility of early elections if he fails to secure the required majority in the first vote.
