The newly elected parliament of Saxony-Anhalt will meet for the first time on Tuesday after the significant victory of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which garnered nearly 44% of the votes four weeks ago.
Election Developments and AfD's Power
The AfD holds 39 seats in this parliament, which is equivalent to the total number of seats held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Left Party, the Greens, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In this session, parliament representatives will vote to elect a speaker, and the AfD, as the strongest force present, has the right to nominate the first candidate.
The AfD has nominated Tobias Rausch, a 35-year-old seasoned parliament representative, for this position, with support from the BSW party, which is a populist party with 5 seats.
Opposition from Other Parties and Likelihood of Election
All other parties have refrained from cooperating with the AfD under a policy known as the "firewall," and the CDU leader in Saxony-Anhalt has advised party members not to participate in the voting. If Rausch is elected, he will become the first AfD speaker in a state parliament in Germany. However, if he does not secure the necessary votes in the first round of voting, other parties may nominate their candidates.
This session will also be accompanied by protests from civil society groups, who consider the AfD a "recognized extremist organization" by the state's domestic intelligence and a threat to German democracy.
Meanwhile, the Frankfurt Book Fair, one of Germany's most important cultural events, will also begin with pre-events, including a press conference, and will open its doors to special visitors on Wednesday.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, has warned that the climate crisis could undermine security and lead to new waves of migration. This warning comes ahead of the Climate and Security Conference in Berlin.
Read more: AfD Introduced as the Strongest Party in the Saxony-Anhalt Assembly
