Saxony-Anhalt: AfD state parliament president Rausch loses his BMW company car

Saxony-Anhalt BMW does not provide a company car for the new AfD state parliament president - now the party is begging Elon Musk

He has the office, but the company car is still missing: After the election of AfD man Tobias Rausch as state parliament president in Saxony-Anhalt, BMW has withdrawn its leasing offer. A prominent party friend therefore asks Tesla.

This week, Tobias Rausch became the first politician from the right-wing extremist AfD to become the head of a parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. But he could also be the first state parliament president without a company car.

Apparently BMW doesn't want to provide him with a vehicle. This was first reported by “Zeit”. On the day of Rausch's election, the Munich car manufacturer withdrew a leasing offer that it had previously submitted to the state parliament. The state parliament administration confirmed this in response to a SPIEGEL request.

Rausch may now have the office, but may no longer have a company car by November. Then the leasing contract for the 7 Series BMW, which he takes over from his CDU predecessor, expires. The President of the State Parliament is entitled to a vehicle and driver. The administration now apparently has to find a replacement.

According to the report, the previous company car was in use for around nine months and covered just over 50,000 kilometers during this time. Leasing contracts usually limit the mileage so that the vehicles can be marketed as used cars after the contract ends.

BMW did not want to comment on the case. “The BMW Group generally does not comment on customer relationships,” writes a spokesman in response to a SPIEGEL query.

BMW has recently positioned itself clearly. Just a few days ago, CEO Milan Nedeljković told the "FAZ" in reference to the AfD that right-wing populism and nationalism were "poison for a cosmopolitan business location that thrives on world trade." Anyone who calls for isolation and isolationism is not acting in the interests of Germany as a business location.

Musk as a savior in an emergency?

According to the state parliament administration, BMW's offer, which has since been withdrawn, was the only one from a well-known German manufacturer for the President of Parliament's vehicle. So far there have been no offers from Mercedes or Audi.

Now AfD representatives are apparently working on their own solution. However, they are not thinking of a German manufacturer, as is common with company cars. The deputy parliamentary group leader Beatrix von Storch addressed Tesla boss Elon Musk on X on Thursday evening. “@elonmusk, would @Tesla be willing to provide him with an official car?” she asked – i.e. whether Tesla was willing to provide Rausch with an official car.

Musk had already given the party political support. In the past he campaigned for the AfD together with party leader Alice Weidel. Now a car will apparently be added - at least if the AfD has its way. Tesla has not yet responded to SPIEGEL's request for help.

For the AfD, it would not be the first time that business partners have distanced themselves: in the past, a donation account and accounts of party branches were canceled and bookings for meeting rooms and hotel rooms were canceled.