Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Lies against MPK chairmanship for Saxony-Anhalt

According to Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Olaf Lies, Saxony-Anhalt should not initially take over the chairmanship of the Prime Minister's Conference (MPK) after the state elections there. “Due to the currently unclear and foreseeably difficult formation of a government in Saxony-Anhalt, it would be sensible not to transfer the MPK chairmanship to Saxony-Anhalt on October 1st,” said the SPD politician, who is currently co-chairing the state round. The chairmanship state is currently Rhineland-Palatinate.

In view of the major reform projects in Germany, there is a need for a functioning MPK that ensures good coordination and cooperation between the states, Lies continued. “We will now discuss with the states what the best way forward is.”

Saxony-Anhalt should take over the presidency on October 1st for one year. However, the state's Prime Minister, Sven Schulze (CDU), said yesterday in a letter to the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Gordon Schnieder (CDU) that taking on this responsibility after the election "no longer seems appropriate".

“Flawless technical and content-related preparation and implementation” is not guaranteed given the election outcome and the uncertainty of the formation of a government, wrote Schulze. The letter is available to the German Press Agency.