Saxony-Anhalt's new parliament elected AfD lawmaker Tobias Rausch as speaker on Tuesday, the first time the party has held a German state parliament presidency.
Lawmakers in Magdeburg on Tuesday elected Tobias Rausch of Alternative for Germany as president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. Tagesschau reported the 35-year-old received 48 of 82 votes cast on the first ballot.
dpa said the result is the first time the AfD has held a state parliament speakership in its 13-year history. The party won nearly 44 percent in the September state election and 39 of 83 seats, short of an absolute majority.
Rausch is parliamentary managing director of the AfD group and general secretary of the state party. National co-leader Alice Weidel called the election a great success on X, dpa reported. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund is seeking to become the party's first state premier.
Tagesschau quoted Rausch telling the chamber he would serve as president of the whole parliament, not of one faction. The office also controls staffing of the parliamentary administration.
CDU, The Left, the Greens and the SPD have said they will not cooperate with the AfD. dpa noted Rausch's 48 votes implied support beyond the AfD benches, while five lawmakers abstained.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Alice Weidel called the vote a great success.
- Rausch said he would preside for the whole Landtag rather than for one group.