The Thuringian AfD parliamentary group wants to bring down the red-red-green minority government with a vote of no confidence and puts its chairman Höcke up for election.
The CDU does not want to vote.
Erfurt - The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group does not want to vote on the vote of no confidence sought by the AfD against Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) and has received criticism for it.
“Very bad idea. Why doesn't she vote no? ”Asked the SPD state chairman and interior minister Georg Maier when asked. In the vote of no confidence, the AfD state party and parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke competes against Ramelow. The head of government can only be overthrown if Höcke has an absolute majority in parliament - 46 votes. The AfD parliamentary group has 22 seats.
Maier said that the announced behavior of the CDU parliamentary group would make the difference between yes and no votes smaller. "The democratic signal is weaker." CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt justified the decision by not wanting to participate in the "tricks" and "games" of the AfD. "The most visible sign that the CDU parliamentary group can set is that the CDU parliamentary group does not participate in this farce that the AfD parliamentary group is initiating," said Voigt on the sidelines of a state parliament meeting.
From CDU circles it was said that they also wanted to prevent the CDU from possibly being blamed after the secret vote if Höcke should receive more votes than there are AfD MPs.
The FDP parliamentary group does not want to vote for Höcke either, as its chairman Thomas Kemmerich made clear.
"We will definitely not vote for Mr. Höcke." How that should look - whether by staying seated, leaving the hall or voting against - is still being discussed in the parliamentary group.
Kemmerich had himself elected as Thuringian Prime Minister on February 5, 2020 with the help of AfD votes.
The event caused protests and outrage across the country at the time.
The FDP politician resigned three days after his election.
Not only the SPD, but also the left and the Greens called for a no to the vote of no confidence and the question of Ramelow or Höcke.
"What I don't understand is why @cdu_fraktion_th doesn't just say no to #Hoecke," wrote Greens parliamentary group leader Astrid Rothe-Beinlich on Twitter, adding the question: "Don't you trust your own people?"
The Thuringian AfD was classified as proven extremist this year by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Höcke is the founder of the "wing", which has since been formally dissolved and classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a right-wing extremist.
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Thomas Haldenwang had called him a right-wing extremist.
Left parliamentary group leader Steffen Dittes said that this vote needed a clear answer from Democrats and the hot no.
He spoke of a fatal signal emanating from the behavior of the CDU.
“I think this is a political disaster.
We expect society outside to defend itself against right-wing dangers and in the state parliament we are not even able to ensure that there is a clear no from democratic parties, ”said Dittes.
The vote of no confidence reveals once again how fragile the political situation in Thuringia is.
Its outcome is likely to cause little concern for most political actors at the moment, because Höcke's candidacy is considered hopeless.
But after the recently failed state parliament dissolution, Ramelow's red-red-green minority government still lacks a majority in parliament.
The CDU no longer wants to support the minority government as guaranteed by contract. Considerations are currently underway as to how parliament should be governed by four too few votes for another three years - but there is still no result. dpa
