Andreas Bovenschulte, the President of the Bundesrat (Federation Council) and an SPD politician, asserted that an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt poses no fundamental threat to the operation of the Bundesrat. He told the “Handelsblatt” that the AfD would not be able to paralyze the federal chamber, noting, “We have 16 states and a constitution that can handle this situation.” Furthermore, the chairman from Bremen added that the procedural regulations of the Bundesrat had become much more robust in recent years.
Nevertheless, Bovenschulte acknowledged that such an event would introduce a new kind of challenge to the Bundesrat. Introducing an AfD state prime minister for the first time since the establishment of the Federal Republic, he stated, would mean having a head of government among them who rejects the liberal democratic basic order.
The SPD politician also issued a warning regarding the potential for the federal government to withhold financial aid from Saxony-Anhalt should its AfD government adopt a repressive policy. Bovenschulte argued that “we do not fight the enemies of the liberal democratic basic order by abolishing the rule of law.” However, he cautioned that the AfD, if given the opportunity, would not hesitate to take swift action against its opponents.
Regarding the state leadership, Bovenschulte opposed Saxony-Anhalt taking over the chairmanship of the Prime Ministerial Conference on October 1st, claiming that such an important function “practically does not work in this situation.” He stressed that the Prime Ministerial Conference is too critical a coordination body to allow for instability.
Finally, Bovenschulte used the occasion to call for corrections to the federal government’s reform program. He contended that there needed to be a public debate about who should bear the burden of the current political climate. Specifically, he questioned whether the household budget should be primarily balanced by cutting benefits like parental allowance, housing aid, and pensions, or if high earners and wealthy individuals should be expected to contribute more significantly.
