AfD Candidate Tobias Rausch Set to Lead Saxony-Anhalt Parliament
Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany is expected to become the first far-right state parliament president in Germany since the Nazi era.
Lawmakers in Saxony-Anhalt are expected to elect Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as president of the state Parliament on Tuesday. This election would mark the first time a far-right politician has led a state legislature since the Nazi era.
The AfD secured 44 percent of the vote in last month's election, winning 39 of 83 seats. Although the party lacks an absolute majority, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance has pledged its five votes to support Rausch in exchange for a vice-presidential seat.
The AfD intends to prioritize education and culture. As part of this agenda, candidate Ulrich Siegmund proposed the segregation of asylum seekers' children in schools. While Rausch seeks the parliamentary presidency, a separate vote in December will determine the state's minister president. Sven Schulze of the Christian Democrats currently serves as acting governor.
