AfD's Tobias Rausch elected Saxony-Anhalt state parliament president, a first for postwar Germany
In short
AfD lawmaker Tobias Rausch was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on October 6, winning 48 of 82 votes and becoming the first far-right politician to head a German state parliament since World War II. He was backed by all five BSW lawmakers and by four votes that appear to have come from parties that had pledged not to work with AfD, breaking the so-called firewall. Rausch, 35, is an ally of AfD's candidate for state premier, Ulrich Siegmund, whose election is due in December.
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AfD lawmaker Tobias Rausch was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on October 6, becoming the first far-right politician to lead a German state parliament since World War II, according to Hankook Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Yonhap. He received 48 of 82 votes; Kyunghyang Shinmun reported 29 votes against and 5 abstentions. The reports describe the result as a breach of the “firewall” principle under which Germany's mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
AfD holds 39 of the chamber's seats, short of a majority on its own. All five lawmakers of the left-populist BSW publicly backed Rausch, Hankook Ilbo and Yonhap reported, and a further four votes came from parties that had committed not to cooperate with AfD. The three outlets say the CDU advised its 15 members to abstain in the speaker vote, yet only five abstentions were recorded. On the same day, Yonhap reported, AfD's Hans-Thomas Tilschneider and the CDU's Karsten Borchert were elected vice presidents while the SPD candidate lost. [ 1 , 3 ]
In his acceptance speech, Rausch said he would take differing opinions seriously and decide transparently, and that “the era in which political barriers existed should now be a thing of the past,” according to Hankook Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun. Hankook Ilbo reported that AfD and BSW lawmakers applauded while others did not react, and that Green lawmaker Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz said those who handed the presidency to a representative of an extremist, anti-constitutional party would bear responsibility for the outcome. Yonhap reported SPD co-leader and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil saying the election of a far-right figure to such an office broke a taboo and demanding an explanation from the CDU; SPD federal lawmakers marched in Berlin with copies of the constitution and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius spoke at Bebelplatz. [ 1 , 3 ]
The vote followed AfD's strong showing in eastern state elections. Hankook Ilbo said AfD won 44 percent in the Saxony-Anhalt regional election a month earlier without securing a majority, and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that AfD took 38.2 percent and first place in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 21. [ 1 , 2 ]
Attention now turns to the state premiership vote expected in December. Hankook Ilbo reported that AfD's candidate Ulrich Siegmund, whom Rausch is close to, would need majority support in a first round and has said he would push for an early election if he fails; the same report says BSW has said it would abstain in that vote. Yonhap reported that BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht said the chances of Siegmund becoming state premier had risen and hinted she could accept him. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The vote is the first case of AfD using support from smaller parties and defectors to take a leading parliamentary post, which outlets describe as a test of whether the firewall against the far right can hold elsewhere in Germany. It also raises the prospect that AfD could take a state premiership for the first time in December, a development opposing parties see as a historic break.
Key facts
- AfD lawmaker Tobias Rausch was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on October 6, receiving 48 of 82 votes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It is the first time a far-right party lawmaker has led a German state parliament since World War II. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- AfD holds 39 seats in the 82-seat chamber; all five BSW lawmakers publicly backed Rausch. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Four additional votes came from parties that had committed not to cooperate with AfD, according to the reports. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the tally as 48 in favour, 29 against and 5 abstentions. [ 2 ]
- Rausch, 35, a former real estate broker and ten-year state parliament member, is close to AfD's state premier candidate Ulrich Siegmund. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A vote on the Saxony-Anhalt state premiership is expected in December. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Tobias Rausch of the AfD was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament with 48 of 82 votes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It is the first time since World War II that a far-right party lawmaker has held a state parliament presidency in Germany. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- All five BSW lawmakers supported Rausch, providing the votes AfD needed beyond its 39 seats. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- AfD won the earlier state election but fell short of a majority, leaving it dependent on other parties. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Which lawmakers supplied the four votes from parties that had ruled out cooperation with AfD. Hankook Ilbo and Yonhap say four such votes were cast and that SPD and the Greens suspect CDU members, but no outlet confirms who they were; doc 1 attributes the suspicion to some media only.
- Whether BSW will back Ulrich Siegmund for state premier in December. Hankook Ilbo says BSW announced it would abstain in the premier vote, while Yonhap reports BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht signalling that she could accept a Siegmund premiership, leaving the position disputed.
- The exact composition of the vote, since Hankook Ilbo gives only the 48 votes for Rausch while Kyunghyang Shinmun adds 29 against and 5 abstentions. Only one document reports the full tally.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- AfD lawmaker Tobias Rausch is elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament with 48 of 82 votes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- AfD's Hans-Thomas Tilschneider and CDU's Karsten Borchert are elected vice presidents, while the SPD candidate loses. [ 3 ]
- SPD federal lawmakers march in Berlin in the evening carrying copies of the constitution; Boris Pistorius speaks at Bebelplatz. [ 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the election and the defections from the firewall. [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the vote breakdown of 48 in favour, 29 against and 5 abstentions. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes a comprehensive report including reactions from the SPD and BSW. [ 3 ]