The Firewall Must Hold in the State Parliament, Too
Anyone who draws a line between themselves and right-wing extremists must hold that line even when no one is watching. That is the standard by which I judge what happened in Saxony-Anhalt.
Yesterday, October 6, Tobias Rausch of the AfD was elected president of the state parliament. Forty-eight lawmakers voted for him. The AfD holds 39 seats, and the BSW holds five. That means at least four votes in favor came from other parliamentary groups. [1, 2]
The vote was held by secret ballot. We do not know who cast those additional votes. It is therefore not an established fact that they came from the CDU, and a blanket accusation would be wrong. [3]
But the facts are more than enough to cause alarm. Since 2023, the AfD's state branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization by the state's domestic intelligence agency. [2] A representative of that branch has now been entrusted with the presidency of the parliament. I consider it a grave mistake to dismiss this as routine parliamentary business.
The BSW had openly announced its support. Together, the AfD and BSW already held enough seats to elect him. The additional votes were therefore unnecessary. [2] That is precisely what makes them such a troubling signal: The willingness to put an AfD candidate in this position extends beyond those two parliamentary groups.
The CDU's parliamentary leadership had recommended that its lawmakers abstain. [2] For me, the political question remains: Why doesn't a party that emphasizes its distance from the AfD recommend a clear no vote in this situation?
The SPD is now demanding explanations from the CDU. [3] That is right and necessary. Demands for answers alone, however, cannot make a secret ballot transparent. What matters all the more now is the stance these parties actually take when the next decisions come.
As a trans woman, my trust in that stance is not an abstract matter. It worries me when right-wing extremists gain political support beyond their own ranks. I want to be able to count on democratic parties to take their commitment to keeping their distance seriously, including when they are deciding who gets to wield power.
The firewall must hold in the voting booth, too.
Yours, Lizbeth
Sources
Saxony-Anhalt State Parliament: Landtag der 9. WP hat sich konstituiert, October 6, 2026.
Tagesschau / MDR, Lars Frohmüller: AfD-Erfolg bringt CDU und Schulze in Bedrängnis, October 6, 2026.
Tagesschau: SPD-Bundesspitze will von der CDU Erklärungen, October 7, 2026.
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