In brief
A month after a decisive state election victory, the Alternative for Germany’s Tobias Rausch has won the chair of Saxony‑Anhalt’s parliament, a first for a far‑right party in post‑war Germany. The win, achieved with nine cross‑party MPs, has sparked outrage among opposition leaders and civil society, who fear a normalisation of far‑right influence. Rausch’s role will give him procedural control but excludes executive power. The ruling parties remain divided over cooperation, while the Greens warn that the outcome marks a watershed moment in German politics.
By Paul Kirby, Europe digital editor – Published 17 minutes ago
A month after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) pulled off a decisive win in Saxony‑Anhalt, its candidate Tobias Rausch has been chosen as the speaker of the state parliament.
In post‑war Germany, it is unprecedented to see a far‑right party assume the chair of a national legislature. Protesters outside the Magdeburg hall held banners that read 2026. Never again is now.
Rausch, 35, a seasoned estate agent and longtime member of the legislature, secured the position with the backing of nine MPs from parties other than his own, allowing him to chair debates, control access to the parliament and represent the chamber at official functions.
Despite a coalition lean, the AfD is X-rated by domestic intelligence, with a stated opposition to immigration and LGBT rights, yet it sees itself as a mainstream force.
Opposition leaders, particularly from the Greens, have decried the historic milestone, warning that the move signals a shift toward normalising far‑right influence.
Rausch, noting the vote, said: The days of political firewalls should be a thing of the past.
The AfD’s triumph is set against a backdrop of cautious political alliances: while the CDU has denied cooperatives with Rausch, some conservative MPs threw in support. Whether this spoils the parliament’s future remains to be seen.
