The State Parliament election in Saxony-Anhalt, which saw an AfD politician chosen as speaker, has reportedly triggered a major mobilization by the SPD parliamentary group, largely due to an intervention by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, according to the newspaper “Stern”.
Pistorius urged the group to issue a definitive public response. Participants in the faction meeting cited a quote attributed to painter Max Liebermann, originating from the day the National Socialists seized power on January 30, 1933: “I cannot eat as much as I want to vomit.”
According to members, SPD leaders Matthias Miersch and party chairman Lars Klingbeil had previously suggested discussing the issue with the governing Union coalition during a meeting on Wednesday evening. The SPD further suspects that CDU members also voted for Tobias Rausch, the AfD politician who secured the speakership.
During the meeting, Pistorius, in coordination with Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, suggested a highly symbolic response: “Let’s go to the place of the book burnings,” referring to the Bebelplatz in Berlin-Mitte. Miersch approved this proposal.
Meanwhile, both the Union and SPD are struggling to decide how to react to the election of Rausch. The SPD’s call to the coalition partner to formally explain that Rausch received four votes more than the combined AfD and BSW totals is facing resistance from the leadership of the Union faction.
Günter Krings, the deputy chairman of the Union faction (CDU), criticized the election of an AfD politician to the parliamentary leadership as a “blow to our parliamentary democracy.” Yet, when asked by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) about the voting count, Krings advised that the figures should be “considered further.” He added that the Union must now strive to prevent such an occurrence when electing a minister-president.
However, Krings strongly criticized any current demands from the SPD that the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt should have its delegates’ secret ballot decision made public, labeling such a call a “crossing of a line.” He stressed that maintaining secret voting is a foundational democratic achievement, warning that the SPD should not casually jeopardize it. “You cannot defend democracy by abandoning democratic principles yourself,” he stated.
Addressing the behavior of political allies in Saxony-Anhalt, Krings expressed a lack of understanding regarding the recommendation put forward by the Magdeburg CDU faction before Rausch’s election, which suggested abstaining from the vote. He commented, “A candidate who states he will remain the General Secretary of his party even after the election is not suitable to hold a state office aimed at impartiality.” This critique stands regardless of the fundamental debate over whether the political tradition dictates electing a representative from the largest faction.
In turn, Krings demanded that the SPD abandon negotiations with the Left Party in light of the Berlin election. He asserted, “If the SPD and the Greens truly care about parliamentary democracy and the values shared by parties in the political center, they must immediately halt coalition negotiations with the Berlin left.” Krings argued that unlike the election of a parliament speaker, the formation of a government and the election of a minister-president hinge on political and substantive agreement. “Therefore, one cannot rightly criticize the election of a parliamentary speaker while ignoring the fact that forming a government with radical or extreme parties represents a far more serious breach of taboo.”
