Exactly one month after the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the new state parliament convened in Magdeburg for its inaugural session on Tuesday.
The most critical item on the agenda for this first meeting is the election of a President of the State Parliament. The AfD, which secured the largest contingent of seats, nominated its current parliamentary manager, Tobias Rausch, as a candidate. Rausch’s chances appear strong, as the BSW has indicated its support for him. This would be the first time the AfD has put forward a candidate for the presidential role, though there has been criticism regarding Rausch retaining his position as the General Secretary of the state party. Critics argue that this role undermines the impartial function of the parliament president.
Other candidates for the position include Armin Willingmann (SPD), Hans-Thomas Tillschneider (AfD), and Carsten Borchert (CDU). However, the BSW recently announced that they do not intend to vote for Tillschneider if Rausch is chosen. Furthermore, for the AfD to elect a Vice-President alongside the president, the rules of parliamentary procedure must likely be amended first.
On Tuesday, several hundred people gathered at the Domplatz in protest against the AfD. Demonstrators read the Basic Law aloud in front of the parliament building. Additionally, the Magdeburger Cathedral was illuminated with political messages such as “Never again is now” and “This is how it began.”
Looking ahead, the AfD’s top candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, plans to run for Minister-President in December. He has stated that he will only participate in the first round; should he fail to secure a majority then, he will not continue his candidacy. The AfD received nearly 44 percent of the votes during the state election; they are missing three mandates to achieve an absolute majority. While the BSW possesses five mandates, they plan to abstain from the Minister-President election. Therefore, assuming no members defect, Siegmund is likely to be elected only in the third round with a simple majority.
