Key facts
- The AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election but fell short of an absolute majority.
- The party has not secured enough support from potential partners due to a 'firewall' policy.
- Tobias Rausch, an AfD member, was elected president of the state parliament with support from the BSW.
- The BSW party has not explicitly ruled out cooperation but rejected joining a coalition government.
- The BSW stated it would abstain in any vote for state premier, potentially allowing a minority government.
- Rausch received 48 votes for parliament president, suggesting support beyond the AfD and BSW.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party convened for the first sitting of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on Tuesday, a month after its landmark election win, but still lacks a clear path to forming its first state government. Despite winning the vote on September 6, the AfD fell three seats short of the absolute majority needed to form an executive government.
The party has struggled to secure support from potential partners or win over defectors from rival parties, leading to a stalemate. This impasse highlights the challenge the AfD faces in translating its growing electoral support into executive power, as mainstream parties adhere to a 'firewall' policy of refusing cooperation.
Founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic movement, the AfD gained traction with its hardline opposition to immigration. It has become a dominant political force in eastern Germany, particularly among voters disillusioned with mainstream parties, though many remain opposed to deals with the AfD.
Despite the political deadlock, Tuesday's inaugural sitting offered the AfD a symbolic victory. Tobias Rausch, a 35-year-old real estate entrepreneur and confidant of AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, was elected president of the state parliament with support from the left-wing populist BSW party. Rausch became the first AfD member to hold such a high office in a German state legislature. In his inaugural speech, Rausch called for lawmakers to work together and suggested that 'the days of political firewalls should be a thing of the past.'
The AfD's success in Saxony-Anhalt and two other state elections in September has put pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government and raised questions about the effectiveness of the firewall policy. The AfD has been attempting to win over lawmakers from Merz's party, but no defections have been announced.
The BSW, the only party not to explicitly rule out cooperation, has stated it will abstain in any vote for Siegmund as state premier, rejecting the idea of joining a coalition. This could lead to the AfD forming a minority government with passive tolerance from the BSW, a model seen in neighboring Thuringia. However, Siegmund has previously rejected such a setup due to over-reliance on the smaller party. Siegmund has also floated the possibility of new elections if he does not secure the required majority in the first round of voting, which he indicated would take place in December.