AfD representative elected president of Saxony-Anhalt state parliament — The Local Germany

In Germany, lawmakers in the parliament of the state of Saxony-Anhalt elected Tobias Rausch, a representative of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as president of the Landtag. During the first session of the new convocation in Magdeburg, 48 lawmakers voted for his candidacy and 29 voted against.

As The Local Germany reports, this is the first case since 1945 in which a representative of a far-right party has taken the position of speaker of a state parliament in the country.

Election results in Saxony-Anhalt

AfD won nearly 44% of the vote in the September 2026 election to the Saxony-Anhalt Landtag. The party secured 39 out of 83 seats, falling just short of an absolute majority.

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It needs the support of other political forces to make decisions. In particular, the small left-wing BSW party, which has five lawmakers, had previously said it was ready to support an AfD candidate for the position of parliament speaker. BSW deputy leader Christian Leye explained this position by saying that, in his view, the policy of non-engagement with AfD supported by other parties does not work.

Protests and further plans

Several hundred protesters gathered near the parliament building during the session. They called on other political forces not to cooperate with AfD and held signs bearing the slogan “Never again is now,” referring to Germany's Nazi past.

In Saxony-Anhalt, domestic intelligence classifies AfD as a “confirmed extremist” organization. The party's leader in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, said he hopes to be elected head of the Saxony-Anhalt government in December. BSW has not yet confirmed support for his candidacy, although, according to media reports, the two parties have agreed to cooperate on certain issues, including an investigation into government policy during the coronavirus pandemic.