Liveblog Saxony-AnhaltSPD parliamentary group marches to a place with a Nazi past
October 6, 2026, 10:19 p.m.|
The MPs walk together to Bebelplatz, the site of the book burning after the Nazis came to power. Defense Minister Pistorius finds clear words.
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Important updates
The SPD parliamentary group takes part in a protest march to a place with a Nazi past
SPD candidate fails in the vice election
CDU candidate becomes additional vice president
Tillschneider becomes one of the state parliament vice-presidents
Three state parliament presidents are elected - in the first round only AfD man Tillschneider is on the ballot paper
The SPD parliamentary group takes part in a protest march to a place with a Nazi past
After the election of the first AfD state parliament president, the SPD parliamentary group gathered for a protest march in the middle of Berlin. The members of the Bundestag walked together through the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz, the site of the book burning after the National Socialists came to power in 1933. Several parliamentarians carried Basic Law books in their hands. At the end, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sang the national anthem after a speech.
“This is the day of anger, this is the day of disappointment that Democrats have apparently learned nothing from history and are letting history repeat itself,” he shouted during his speech. “Whoever allowed this to happen has violated the democracy of our great country.”
“This is not a normal day,” said parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch. The SPD feels the duty to show its colors when democracy is under pressure. For the first time since the founding of the Federal Republic, right-wing extremists were elected to a state parliament presidency. “This should alarm us all.”
Klingbeil: Electing the AfD state parliament president is breaking a taboo
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil described the election of Tobias Rausch as the AfD's first state parliament president as a breach of taboo. “The fact that the candidate of the AfD, which is classified as right-wing extremist, was elected state parliament president in Saxony-Anhalt with significantly more than the AfD votes raises very pressing questions,” said Klingbeil, according to a statement. “It is a breach of taboo to elect right-wing extremists to such offices.”
Basic law and white rose for AfD state parliament president
Instead of the usual bouquet of flowers, the SPD gave the new AfD state parliament president in Saxony-Anhalt a basic law and a white rose. The SPD parliamentary group leader Katja Pähle presented both to the new state parliament president Tobias Rausch (AfD) after his election. "Not a millimeter to the right. Not even with a bouquet of flowers," the group said. “We did not elect the representative of a party that was classified as right-wing extremist.”
The white rose commemorates the resistance against National Socialism, the party said in a statement on Instagram. The Basic Law is a reminder of what our democracy is based on and what the President of a parliament must also be measured against. The CDU and BSW each presented Rausch with a bouquet of flowers, while the Greens and the Left remained in their seats.
Katja Pähle (SPD), presents a rose and a copy of the Basic Law to Tobias Rausch (AfD), newly elected President of the State Parliament. Ronny Hartmann/POOL/AFP
SPD candidate fails in the vice election
The SPD candidate Armin Willingmann failed in the election of another vice president. 33 MPs voted for him, 48 voted no. There were no abstentions and one vote cast was invalid.
Previously, AfD MP Tobias Rausch was elected as state parliament president and his parliamentary group colleague Hans-Thomas Tillschneider as deputy. Another deputy is CDU MP Carsten Borchert. The third vice position remains vacant for the time being.
Party leader denies BSW votes for Tillschneider
The parliamentary group leader of the BSW in Saxony-Anhalt, Thomas Schulze, has ruled out that his party voted for a deputy state parliament president from the AfD. “Our five MPs definitely did not vote for Mr. Tillschneider,” Schulze told the German Press Agency. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider was elected Vice President of the State Parliament with 44 yes votes. The AfD and BSW have exactly the same number of votes in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt.
When the AfD state parliament president was elected, the BSW announced that it would vote for AfD politician Tobias Rausch. However, as Vice President, the BSW was critical of Tillschneider in advance because of his stance on the issue of armaments.
CDU candidate becomes additional vice president
Carsten Borchert received 64 votes in the second round. 17 MPs voted against the CDU candidate, there was one abstention. The next step is the election of the third vice president. Once again there is only one candidate available: the SPD politician Armin Willingmann.
Next ballot starts
After an adjournment, the meeting will continue with the next round of voting. Only the CDU candidate Carsten Borchert is standing for election as second vice president. The Left has withdrawn its proposal, the SPD has stated that its proposal should only apply to the third round of voting.
Federal politicians are demanding clarification about additional votes for intoxication
The election of the two AfD politicians Tobias Rausch and Hans-Thomas Tillschneider to their new positions in the state parliament presidium is also triggering debates at the federal level. The SPD is demanding clarification from the CDU as to whether its representatives voted for Rausch. “My clear expectation of the CDU is that they immediately clarify who among their ranks may have thought this fatal decision was correct,” said SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf. Anyone who wants to protect democracy has a historical responsibility to keep right-wing extremist forces out of political power at every point and every second. Matthias Miersch, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, also announced that the election would also be a topic in the coalition committee of the black-red government on Wednesday in Berlin.
CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei dismissed it as “pure speculation” that CDU MPs were responsible for the four additional votes that Tobias Rausch received. However, the election itself is “extremely questionable and worrying”.
Anne Eberhard
Schulze sure: No CDU votes for Tillschneider
The CDU suspects that the five additional yes votes for Hans-Thomas Tillschneider came from the BSW parliamentary group. All factions - including the BSW - had announced that they would not support the AfD politician in the election for vice president. Tillschneider still received 44 votes, five more than the AfD has members in the state parliament.
Since the election was secret, it is unclear who the votes came from. CDU Prime Minister Sven Schulze said on MDR that he was sure that no votes came from his group. The CDU MPs agreed and carried out a test vote. “There were no votes for him from the CDU,” said Schulze.
CDU puzzles: Where do the additional votes for Rausch come from?
After the election of Tobias Rausch as the AfD's first state parliament president in Germany, CDU parliamentary group leader Sven Schulze cannot explain where the additional votes for the AfD politician could come from. It was a secret election and therefore incomprehensible, Schulze told the German Press Agency. The leadership of the CDU parliamentary group had recommended that a total of 15 members of parliament abstain from the election of the state parliament president.
In the morning it was clear that not everyone wanted to follow the recommendation. Some had indicated that they wanted to vote “no,” said Schulze. “But none of us said that we would vote 'yes',” emphasized the Prime Minister. “Nobody.”
Anne Eberhard
Session is interrupted again
It just continued - now the meeting is interrupted again. The request for this was made by the SPD parliamentary group after Tillschneider was elected Vice President of the State Parliament. The break is scheduled for 15 minutes. Behind the scenes there is likely to be discussion about the SPD and CDU candidates for the office of Vice President.
Tillschneider becomes one of the state parliament vice-presidents
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider was elected first vice-president of the state parliament. The controversial AfD politician received 44 of 82 votes, 38 MPs voted against him. There were no abstentions. Tillschneider received five votes from other parties. The BSW had previously announced that it would not support the AfD candidate.
The Islamic scholar Tillschneider is deputy state and parliamentary group leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt. In the past, Tillschneider had repeatedly caused a stir in the Magdeburg parliament with provocations. His proximity to Russia also attracted criticism on several occasions.
Three state parliament presidents are elected - in the first round only AfD man Tillschneider is on the ballot paper
It starts with the first round of voting. Three vice-presidents will be elected; Parliament agreed on this immediately after the session restarted. In the first round, only Hans-Thomas Tillschneider (AfD), who is considered particularly radical and Russia-friendly, is up for election. The CDU and SPD have withdrawn their candidates - Carsten Borchert for the CDU, Armin Willingmann for the SPD - for the first round of voting, Borchert will only be available from the second round and Willingmann from the third, the two factions explained.
As with the election for President of the State Parliament, the representatives will now be called alphabetically and one after the other. Tillschneider must get more yes votes than no votes. The crucial question is: How many abstentions will there be? Abstentions are counted as votes not cast and could therefore be very decisive as to whether Tillschneider is elected in the first round or not. Unlike when Rausch was elected as state parliament president, the BSW announced that it would not give Tillschneider any votes.
Siegmund: Firewall in the Magdeburg state parliament “finally fallen”
For the first time, an AfD politician holds the highest office in a federal state - the AfD is celebrating and sees itself as having arrived at the political center. “The so-called firewall has finally fallen today in the Magdeburg state parliament,” said AfD parliamentary group leader Ulrich Siegmund in an AfD press release. Rausch's election is an "unmistakable signal that ideological divides can be overcome." Siegmund announced that he wanted to take the next steps in the state parliament with “exactly this tailwind”. In December he wants to be elected as the first AfD Prime Minister in Germany. To do this, he depends on at least three votes from other parties.
Anne Eberhard
Meeting continues - election of vice presidents is coming up
After a two and a half hour break, the session in the parliament in Saxony-Anhalt continues. A total of three vice positions are available. The AfD proposes its controversial MP Hans-Thomas Tillschneider as a candidate for the office. This is possible because the AfD and BSW changed the state parliament's rules of procedure immediately after the break. This means that the AfD can now nominate a vice president, even though it already has the state parliament president, Tobias Rausch.
The CDU is sending education politician Carsten Borchert into the race as running mate. The Social Democrats are proposing Science Minister Armin Willingmann as Vice President.
