Following the state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD has asserted its claim to a mandate to govern, despite the lack of clear coalition options.
Speaking in Berlin on Monday, top candidate Leif-Erik Holm stated that although he anticipates a Red-Red-Green coalition, he believes the “mandate to govern” belongs to the AfD. “We are clearly the strongest force, and of course, we want to change things for the citizens who desire change,” he remarked. Consequently, invitations will be extended to other parties for discussions, though Holm admitted, “I don’t have much hope that this will yield a positive answer, but we certainly want to try.”
Holm also strongly insisted that the AfD be granted parliamentary rights “that such a powerful party deserves,” adding that he expects the AfD to install the state parliament president this term. Holm conveyed this as “a very important message for the population.” Separately, he announced the formation of a Corona investigation committee.
The results from the northeastern election saw the AfD become the strongest party on Sunday with 38.2 percent, leading the SPD with 35.5 percent. However, these figures are insufficient to form a Red-Red-Green coalition. Conversely, the CDU was expelled from a state parliament for the first time in its history, achieving only 4.9 percent. The BSW also failed to cross the five-percent electoral threshold with 4.8 percent.
