AfD poised to win first state parliament presidency in Sachsen-Anhalt

The AfD's election victory in Sachsen-Anhalt has brought it within reach of an institutional first: the presidency of a German state parliament. Tobias Rausch is its candidate to head the assembly in Magdeburg, according to the Financial Times.

But winning the parliamentary presidency is not the same as securing control of the state government. The AfD wants to govern and still lacks a majority, ARD Tagesschau reported on October 4.

On October 4, CDU parliamentary leader Sven Schulze ruled out CDU votes for the AfD in the election of the state premier, according to ARD Tagesschau. DIE ZEIT reported that Schulze said his parliamentary colleagues had confirmed in writing that none would switch to the AfD.

On October 5, DIE ZEIT described the election of the first AfD state parliament president as agreed. That pointed to a route for Rausch to win the office despite the AfD's lack of a governing majority.

The BSW's position was selective. On the same day, DIE WELT reported that Rausch was set to be elected parliament president, while Hans-Thomas Tillschneider would receive no BSW votes.

Ahead of the session on October 6, Bundestag vice-president Bodo Ramelow called attention to the power attached to the parliamentary presidency in an interview with DIE ZEIT. ARD Tagesschau reported that the AfD wanted to use the occasion both to obtain the office and to demonstrate its ability to govern.

The supplied coverage describes Rausch as poised to win, not as already elected. DIE WELT reported on October 6 that the new parliament was meeting for the first time after the election and that Rausch was expected to become its first AfD president.

The decisive votes are those of five BSW deputies, according to Euronews. Their role makes the ballot an early test of relations between the BSW and AfD before the AfD's bid to lead the state government in December.

Reports differ on the session's date. An October 5 report from Deutschlandfunk said the assembly was meeting that day, while its October 6 report and ARD Tagesschau placed the opening session on October 6.

The immediate question is whether Rausch secures the votes needed to become parliament president. The supplied reports do not give a completed ballot result, and the five BSW deputies remain central to the outcome, according to Euronews.

The next political test is the AfD's December attempt to lead the government. Support for a parliamentary president would not itself settle that contest: Schulze has separately ruled out CDU support for Siegmund's election as state premier, DIE ZEIT reported.