Exclusive
In Thuringia, the AfD under Björn Höcke will be the strongest faction in the state parliament and can therefore propose the new parliamentary president. This is no problem for the new CDU MP Martina Schweinsburg.
The newly elected Thuringian CDU member of parliament Martina Schweinsburg has shown herself open to electing a parliamentary president from the AfD. “That will depend on the respective candidate,” she told the star“If there is a reasonable proposal, party membership plays a subordinate role for me.”
Schweinsburg was CDU district administrator in Greiz and president of the Thuringian District Council until the summer. “As the largest faction, the AfD has the right to propose candidates,” she said. “Just as I supported the election of the Left Party candidate and former SED functionary Birgit Pommer within the CDU in 2019, I am now in favor of not rejecting an AfD candidate outright.” It always depends on the person.
Schweinsburg: “We should talk to everyone”
The MP also called for exploratory talks with all parties in the state parliament about a future government. “This time we really should talk to everyone, including the AfD and the Left Party,” she said. “Exclusionism must be a thing of the past.” That does not mean that she approves of a coalition with the AfD. “But we should always be ready to talk.”
Schweinsburg had already made similar statements in the past, but was nevertheless nominated as a direct candidate by her party. CDU state leader Mario Voigt had also campaigned for her.
Stalemate in the Thuringian state parliament
After the state election on Sunday, the CDU, BSW and SPD have half of the seats. This means that a majority coalition is not possible. The other half of the seats are held by the AfD and the Left Party. This means that there is a stalemate.
The state parliament must constitute itself by October 1 at the latest. In order to be able to work, the parliament must elect a president. According to the rules of procedure, the AfD, as the largest party, has the sole right to propose candidates in at least the first and possibly also the second round of voting. After that, the election process could be opened up.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
