Tobias Rausch of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has been elected as the speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. A former estate agent, Rausch won 48 out of 82 votes in the first round of voting on Tuesday. This marks the first time since the end of World War II and the Nazi era that a far-right party has secured the position of speaker in a German regional parliament.
The outcome was achieved with the assistance of the populist BSW party, specifically through the support of five deputies. The vote is seen as an initial test of the relationship between the two parties as the AfD establishes a foothold to build support for taking power in a regional government.
The appointment follows a landmark election win for the AfD last month. Despite this success, the party still lacks a clear path to forming its first state government ahead of its bid to lead the state government in December. In the context of these political shifts, Germany's foreign minister has warned that the climate crisis could fuel extremism.