Election in Saxony-Anhalt: Siegmund announces talks with MPs

After his party's election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund wants to seek a majority among the other factions and individual members of the new state parliament. His “declared goal” is “that we get a stable majority that we can rely on in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt as quickly as possible,” said Siegmund in Berlin. This should happen “under the proviso” that core positions, such as migration and internal security, are “implemented 100 percent”. The AfD won the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday by a large margin, but missed out on an absolute majority.

“Of course I will stand as a candidate for Prime Minister in Saxony-Anhalt if it becomes apparent that I have secured a stable majority,” he says. "That is not at all foreseeable today. That's why our aim now is to organize precisely this stable majority in the next few days and weeks."

Siegmund expressly announced that he wanted to hold talks with the individual factions and with individual MPs. Corresponding discussions are already “initiated today”.

This approach is not a contradiction to his announcements before the election that he only wants to govern alone, said Siegmund when asked. “The plan was clearly a sole government.” In the upcoming talks we have to look at: “Who are these people, can we do it in such a way that we remain politically true to our values.” It could also be the case that there will be voices at the BSW who want a change. But he doesn't want to play games, so you can't rely on that later.

After counting all 2,661 electoral districts, the state election management announced the following preliminary results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt at 2:56 a.m.: AfD: 43.8%, CDU: 17.2%, Left: 8.6%, SPD: 9.3%, Greens: 8.9%, BSW: 5.3%, FDP: 2.6%, Others: 4.4%. According to the information, voter turnout was 77.8 percent.

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) called for a consistent course of reform. He called the outcome of the election a “political earthquake.” Verdi boss Frank Werneke warned the democratic parties against collaborating with the AfD.

The BSW announced through top candidate Thomas Schulze that it would abstain from electing a prime minister in the third round of voting. They don't want to take part in a "firewall coalition", but they also don't want to act as a "stirrup holder".