A historical threshold has been crossed in Germany. The Saxony-Anhalt State Assembly, which was re-determined after the election held on September 6 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, convened to elect its new president in the first session of the new legislative period. 35-year-old Tobias Rausch, nominated by the AfD Saxony-Anhalt State Parliament Group, was elected as the new Parliament speaker, receiving 48 of the 82 votes cast in the secret ballot.
While 29 deputies voted against the vote, 5 deputies abstained. With the election of Rausch, an AfD politician became the speaker of the parliament for the first time in Germany.
Parliament Speaker Tobias Rausch, in his statement at the presidential tribune, said, "The era of political walls should be a thing of the past. A political opponent should never become a personal enemy. My doors will be open to everyone. Political debate is part of the process, the important thing is how it is carried out. Different visions for the future of Saxony-Anhalt do not hinder cooperation in the parliament."
The most frequently asked question after the Saxony-Anhalt State Assembly Speaker election was the excess votes given to the AfD candidate, which required at least 42 votes but had 39 deputies. It was predicted that Tobias Rausch would be elected with the support of 44 MPs, as the Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Understanding (BSW), which has 5 seats, had previously announced that they would support the AfD candidate. However, the fact that there were 48 votes for the AfD candidate in today's vote means that some MPs from the CDU, SPD, Greens or Left Party also voted in favor. Because of the secret ballot, the MPs who support will never be known unless they declare it themselves.
AfD, which won the elections held on September 6 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, had 39 deputies in the 83-seat state parliament. CDU has 15 seats, Greens, Left Party and SPD have 8 seats each, and BSW has 5 seats. 42 votes were needed to ensure a majority in parliament, including the parliamentary presidency.
The Left Party, the Greens and the Social Democratic Party, which have groups in the parliament, announced that they opposed an AfD politician becoming the speaker of the parliament. Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU) State Parliament Group Chairman Sven Schulze stated that CDU MPs were advised to abstain from voting in the parliamentary elections.
After the candidate of the far-right Alternative Party for Germany (AfD), who won the elections held on September 6 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, was elected Speaker of the Parliament, all eyes turned to the government that would be formed. AfD, which has 39 deputies in the State Assembly, wants to form a coalition under its own leadership.
The far-right party's candidate for prime minister in the elections, Ulrich Siegmund, aims to be elected to the post of prime minister, head of the state government, in December. Siegmund must receive the support of at least 42 MPs to be elected. The establishment of a government under the leadership of AfD in this state will be followed carefully both in terms of the country's politics and the foreigners living in this state.
In particular, the Constitutional Protection Agency (BfV), which is responsible for Germany's Internal Intelligence, is hesitant about AfD government members' access to critical intelligence information and is taking precautions to prevent this. For immigrants and foreigners living in the state, a possible AfD government may result in the limitation or withdrawal of their current legal rights in the state.
