Far-Right AfD Candidate Tobias Rausch Seizes Speaker Role in Saxony-Anhalt Parliament Amid Backroom Deals
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In a disturbing development for German democracy, Tobias Rausch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was installed as speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, aided by votes from members of other parties. This marks the first time since World War II that an extremist party has held this influential post, raising alarm about the erosion of anti-fascist safeguards.
Tobias Rausch, 35, a representative of the far-right AfD, was elected speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on Tuesday, thanks to the support of nine legislators outside his own party. Despite the AfD falling three seats short of a majority in the recent state election, Rausch managed to secure enough cross-party backing through secretive alliances to claim the position.
Rausch brazenly declared, "The days of political firewalls should be a thing of the past," signaling the normalization of cooperation with a party notorious for its xenophobic and anti-democratic rhetoric. This willingness to break with the longstanding consensus against the far right is a chilling sign for progressive forces.
Regional Greens leader Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz condemned the outcome as a dangerous turning point, stating, "A line has been crossed with the election of a far-right speaker of parliament, and it was a watershed moment. We will not let ourselves be intimidated, and we will not sit by when rights are curtailed either here or for people in the state."
The new speaker, who will now chair debates, control access to the parliamentary building, and represent the legislature at official events, is a trained estate agent and a decade-long member of parliament. Rausch is closely linked to local AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund, who is aggressively campaigning to become state premier and push the region further to the right.
Outside the parliament in Magdeburg, protesters gathered in defiance, displaying banners and voicing strong opposition to the AfD's alarming rise. Reports indicated that votes for Rausch came from members of the hard-left BSW and possibly a few unidentified legislators, though the CDU party had publicly denied supporting the AfD candidate, raising questions about transparency and accountability in the process.