Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was elected as the speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on October 6, 2026, marking the first time a far-right politician has held a state parliament presidency in post-World War II Germany.

 

AfD wins state parliament speakership in Saxony-Anhalt with far-left backing

Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was elected as the speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament on October 6, 2026, marking the first time a far-right politician has held a state parliament presidency in post-World War II Germany.

According to reports from Politico and Deutsche Welle (DW), the historic vote unfolded with the following details:

• The Backing: Rausch secured 48 votes in the 83-seat chamber—9 more than the 39 seats held by the AfD following its regional election victory in September. His election was aided by the left-populist Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), which honored a parliamentary convention dictating that the largest faction should receive the presidency.
• The Role: While largely symbolic, the speaker chairs plenary debates, enforces parliamentary regulations, manages building access, and represents the state legislature officially.
• Public Reaction: The decision sparked immediate backlash, drawing hundreds of demonstrators outside the state parliament building in Magdeburg who protested against cooperating with a party classified by domestic intelligence as right-wing extremist.

What comes next: This procedural victory sets up a higher-stakes political test in December 2026, when local AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund intends to seek election as the state premier. However, BSW leadership has clarified that its support for the parliamentary convention does not extend to the premiership and that its members plan to abstain from that vote.