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Saxony-Anhalt: CDU is considering the election of AfD politicians as vice

2021-10-13T17:39:24.648Z


The Christian Democrats in Saxony-Anhalt are under criticism. Parts of the CDU parliamentary group apparently want to elect an AfD politician as vice-president of the state parliament. The German coalition threatens a first endurance test.


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AfD politician Hagen Kohl

Photo: Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert / dpa

In the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, a politician from the partially right-wing AfD could be elected vice-president of the state parliament on Thursday.

MP Hagen Kohl is running for the high office.

In July, the AfD politician Matthias Büttner failed the election for Vice President, but with 32 yes votes already received nine more than the AfD parliamentary group has seats in parliament.

This time Kohl can hope for a majority, representatives of the CDU assured him of their support.

CDU parliamentary group leader Siegfried Borgwardt told the MDR that the motto in dealing with the AfD is to delimit, but not to exclude.

As chairman of the interior committee, Kohl did a good job.

He is also a state official, the CDU parliamentary group sees no reasons not to vote for him.

The parliamentary manager of the CDU parliamentary group, Markus Kurz, also said this.

“We are dealing with a state official here,” he said.

"If you look at it democratically, you can't say anything against this candidacy."

Kohl has been a member of the state parliament for the AfD since 2016.

Before that, he worked as a personnel clerk in the State Criminal Police Office of Saxony-Anhalt.

The CDU governs Saxony-Anhalt under the leadership of Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff together with the SPD and FDP in a so-called Germany coalition.

The planned voting behavior of the Christian Democrats is evidently causing displeasure among allies.

The SPD announced that it would not vote for Kohl.

All AfD MPs had shown "that they are unsuitable to represent the House," said SPD parliamentary group leader Katja Pähle according to the "Mitteldeutscher Zeitung".

The FDP announced that it would either abstain or vote against Kohl.

Even in the Kenya coalition, which was replaced after the state elections this year, the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt had repeatedly clashed with its partners SPD and Greens because of some easing exercise towards the AfD.

"With the announced election of an AfD vice-president, the CDU Saxony-Anhalt is once again operating the dangerous normalization of a right-wing extremist party," said Green leader Sebastian Striegel to SPIEGEL.

The presidium of the state parliament is able to work with a president and two vice-presidents, so the election of an AfD politician is unnecessary and wrong.

"The AfD also shows in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt that it is not about seeking parliamentary discourse, but about attacking the constitution," said Striegel.

Left faction leader Eva von Angern also spoke out sharply.

"A member of a party that is partially right-wing extremist cannot represent a constitutional body." The CDU's argument that the candidate can be elected because he is an official is "absurd".

»Then a Björn Höcke would also be eligible for the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt.

The CDU seems to be creeping out of the self-proclaimed firewall against the right and to prefer a process of normalizing the AfD, "said von Angern.

Right-wing extremist as chairman of the legal committee?

The CDU MP Daniel Sturm pointed out to SPIEGEL that the election as vice-president of the state parliament was secret.

»There are also reservations in our parliamentary group about electing an AfD politician.

Many have not yet made up their minds, ”emphasized Sturm.

Kohl would be the third AfD politician in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt.

Daniel Rausch resigned immediately after only one day in office in 2016.

He was followed by Willi Mittelstädt, who remained in office until the end of the legislative period.

In the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament it was said that in 2016 it was not yet clear which way the AfD would take.

At the beginning of the year, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony-Anhalt initiated monitoring of the entire AfD state association due to anti-constitutional tendencies.

The AfD is suing in court.

There is also a dispute about another AfD politician.

Hans-Thomas Tillschneider is chairman of the legal committee in the state parliament - and one of the most radical representatives of the far-right party in the country.

The Greens therefore want to elect Tillschneider out of office and are campaigning for a corresponding motion to vote out.

The CDU has so far opposed this, allegedly out of concern that the AfD could successfully sue against being voted out of office.

After all, Tillschneider has not allowed himself to go wrong as chairman of the committee.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-10-13

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