Following a contentious session in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on Tuesday, widespread speculation has emerged that center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmakers may have voted to elect a far-right extremist as parliamentary speaker. The move appears to contravene both internal party agreements and the explicit stance of CDU Chairman and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has insisted his party will not collaborate with the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Tobias Rausch was elected as the new parliamentary speaker in Magdeburg during the inaugural session of the state legislature. This marks the first time since the conclusion of World War II that a representative of a far-right party has held this position. While Rausch secured the expected support from the AfD and the Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Rationality (BSW), he also received four additional votes via secret ballot. Political observers widely believe these extra votes originated from右-wing members of the CDU.
The election has triggered immediate backlash from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). On Tuesday, prominent SPD members led a protest march through Berlin, moving from the Bundestag past the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz—the site of the infamous 1933 Nazi book burning. The demonstration concluded with Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius leading the crowd in the national anthem, while participants held copies of the German Basic Law to symbolize their defense of democracy and the rule of law.
Lars Klingbeil, the SPD’s Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, described the election of a far-right extremist to such a high office as a breach of taboo. He demanded urgent explanations from both the BSW and the CDU regarding how the incident occurred. As the junior coalition partner in the federal government, the SPD’s concerns also cast a shadow over the stability of the current governing coalition.
Thorsten Frei, leader of the CDU parliamentary group, offered a cautious response. Acknowledging the secrecy of the ballot, he stated that technically anyone could be suspect, but emphasized that the outcome was extremely troubling and a cause for serious concern.
The controversy highlights the deep political divide in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD won 44% of the vote in the September 6 election. The party campaigned on strict immigration controls, climate change denial, and the near-total abolition of public broadcasting. Despite this victory, the AfD lacks an outright parliamentary majority. Additionally, the regional branch of the party has been classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as “confirmed right-wing extremist.”
Political analysts are now re-evaluating the effectiveness of the “firewall”—the longstanding strategy by democratic parties to refuse any cooperation with the AfD. While this approach has largely failed at municipal levels, Georg Maier, the Interior Minister of Thuringia and a member of the SPD, warned that the CDU risks its own political downfall if it continues down this path, arguing that the firewall remains a necessary safeguard.
Fabio De Masi, co-leader of the BSW, told the Hamburger Abendblatt that the party should help break down the firewall to expose the internal contradictions of the AfD, which he argued has grown unchecked while shielded from scrutiny. The BSW, founded by former Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht, narrowly cleared the 5% threshold to gain representation in the Saxony-Anhalt parliament. Its future collaboration with the AfD remains uncertain.
Tensions within the far-right have also surfaced, with AfD caucus leader Oliver Kirchner recently criticizing BSW co-leaders De Masi and Mohamed Ali for their immigrant backgrounds. Kirchner expressed reluctance to serve a five-year term under their leadership, making inflammatory remarks about their heritage in an interview with the right-wing magazine Compact.
Until now, BSW support has been viewed as the primary pathway for the AfD to gain influence in Saxony-Anhalt. Other major parties, including the CDU, SPD, Greens, and Left Party, continue to categorically reject any cooperation with the AfD. Whether this unified stance can hold in the coming weeks is now the central question in German politics.
Secret ballots are meant to protect voters, not hide political backroom deals. Something doesn’t add up.
The protest in Berlin was powerful. Holding the Basic Law at the book burning site really hit home.
Does this mean the coalition agreement is already broken before it even started? Concerning timing.
I’m shocked the CDU allowed this. Merz needs to investigate immediately or face the consequences.
Four unexplained votes? That undermines the entire democratic process and makes a mockery of the firewall.