Tobias Rausch, the far-right Alternative for Germany‘s (AFD’s) nomination for speaker in Saxony-Anhalt‘s state parliament, has been elected with the help of the populist BSW party.
Rausch gained 48 votes in favor to 29 against from 82 eligible votes. There were five abstentions.
The AfD holds 39 seats in the parliament and the BSW five, giving Rausch the majority he needed to win the post, as the other parties combined — all of which reject working with the AfD — also hold 39 seats.
The result, however, means that members of parties besides the AfD and BSW voted for him.
Rausch, 35, thus becomes the first member of the AfD — a party classified by domestic intelligence in Saxony-Anhalt as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” organization — to become speaker in a state parliament in Germany.
The new speaker is a real-estate entrepreneur by profession and has been a member of parliament for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt since 2016.
The parliamentary session was accompanied by several anti-AfD protests in front of the parliament building.
The vote for speaker is separate from that for state premier.
The AfD’s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, who won the September election with 44% of the vote — thus falling short of an absolute majority — intends to stand for the position in December.
As no other party so far wants to form a coalition with his party, it is still in question whether he can win a vote or form a government.
The AfD says it is in dialogue with the BSW and individual parliamentarians to seek the necessary support.
Source: www.dw.com
