Felix Banaszak, the chairman of the Green Party, views the election of AfD parliamentarian Tobias Rausch as Landtag President of Saxony-Anhalt as a clear normalization of right-wing extremism and a dangerous precedent for establishing an AfD Minister President. “This is the first time since 1945 that a parliamentarian from a far-right party has been elected at the head of a German parliament,” Banaszak told “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”.
The Green leader insisted that this phenomenon cannot be ignored or downplayed, stating it represents a “creeping normalization of the far-right takeover.” He noted that this trend is not limited only to members of the BSW faction, suggesting that many parliamentarians in other groups seem unable to differentiate between democracy and the genuine threat posed to it.
Banaszak also commented on the behavior of Sven Schulze, the incumbent Minister President and CDU faction leader. Schulze had advised his party members to abstain from voting. The Green leader expressed confusion over this guidance, as he felt members ought to have an opinion regarding whether they wish to be represented by the far-right. He pointed out that ten out of fifteen CDU members reportedly defied this advice, predicting this indicated a poor sign for the run-up to the Minister President election. Despite these fears, Banaszak stressed that their democratic resistance remains “fearless and undaunted.”
Irene Mihalic, the Green Party’s Parliamentary Secretary in the Bundestag, added that the election of Hans-Thomas Tillschneider as Vice President of the Landtag further underscores the significance of the day. Mihalic stated that Tillschneider represents an “entire right-wing network that is also characterized by extreme closeness to Putin.” This development is particularly alarming, coming at a time when the president of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has warned of potential Russian aggression. Mihalic concluded by urging the Union party, which appeared to communicate and act unclearly on this day, to now mobilize all efforts to prevent the election of a far-right Minister President.
