Karl Lauterbach of the SPD has accused CDU leader Friedrich Merz of spreading a conspiracy theory regarding the election of AfD politician Tobias Rausch as the President of the State Parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. Lauterbach characterized Merz’s suggestion that the nomination could have been a “False-Flag” operation as nothing more than a distraction.
Speaking to the “Spiegels” television format, Lauterbach stated, “Everyone knows that the Union party members were involved. And we act as if it was an open matter. That is a conspiracy theory.”
Greens politician Ricarda Lang also criticized the CDU chief’s reaction in a separate discussion, labeling it a “complete refusal of responsibility.”
The dispute hinges on the vote count. Rausch was elected with 48 votes. However, the AfD and BSW parties collectively only hold 44 votes, meaning the source of the additional four votes remains unclear. While Merz cautioned against making hasty conclusions and introduced the possibility of a “False-Flag” operation, his argument implies that members from the SPD, Greens, or Left Party may have voted for Rausch. According to Merz’s implication, this could be a tactic designed to discredit CDU lawmakers who are seen as supporting the AfD.
