(de-news.net) – The AfD has become the largest parliamentary force in Saxony-Anhalt, making the process of forming a new government challenging. The Greens have shown interest in a nonpartisan minister-president as an alternative to either an AfD-led government or parliamentary impasse, while the BSW is promoting exploratory cooperation while opposing a formal coalition.
Citing uncertainty surrounding the formation of a new government in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt’s departing state government has decided to relinquish its planned chairmanship of the Conference of Minister-Presidents (MPK) at the beginning of October. Acting state premier Sven Schulze (CDU) confirmed the decision in a letter to MPK Chairman and Rhineland-Palatinate Minister-President Gordon Schnieder (CDU), explaining that the unresolved political situation had prompted the move. The decision was also confirmed to Deutschlandfunk. The AfD, which emerged as the strongest force in the state parliament, nevertheless requires a coalition partner to secure a governing majority, leaving the formation of a new administration uncertain.
The decision drew criticism from the BSW parliamentary leadership, which argued that Schulze had lost the election and was now seeking to constrain the political options available to his successor. The party portrayed the move as evidence of what it regarded as a questionable understanding of democratic practice. Schulze, meanwhile, remains in office as acting minister-president until the Landtag elects a replacement. He was also selected by the CDU parliamentary group to serve as its new chairman, giving him a continued role in the state’s political transition even as negotiations over a new government remain unresolved.
Against this backdrop, the Greens have signaled openness to a BSW proposal for an impartial, independent minister-president. Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz, the Green Party’s lead candidate, characterized the concept as highly unusual but said her party would not stand in its way and remained prepared to discuss it. She presented the political alternatives as an AfD-led government or a parliamentary impasse in which no new premier could be elected. An independent candidate, she suggested, could therefore represent a potential last resort for avoiding either outcome.
The Greens also indicated that either the BSW should present a concrete proposal or the CDU should first determine its position. Sziborra-Seidlitz emphasized that her party were prepared to discuss the selection of a minister-president but did not regard such discussions as a basis for coalition negotiations. SPD lead candidate Armin Willingmann has likewise stopped short of categorically rejecting the proposal, leaving the idea part of the broader debate over how Saxony-Anhalt could establish a functioning government.
Wagenknecht seeks cooperation with AfD on energy, Ukraine, and broadcasting
The BSW has not yet named a candidate but envisages a nonpartisan minister-president governing through shifting parliamentary majorities that could include every party in the legislature, including the AfD. Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the BSW, has endorsed the principle that the AfD should be entitled to the presidency of the state parliament because it is by far the largest parliamentary group. Her support, however, depends on the individual candidate put forward by the party. The newly elected Landtag must convene by October 6 to elect its president, with the AfD holding the exclusive right to nominate a candidate in the first round. The parliamentary arithmetic gives the issue particular significance: the AfD’s 39 deputies, together with the five BSW lawmakers, would constitute an absolute majority in the 83-seat legislature.
At the same time, Wagenknecht has backed exploratory talks with the AfD while continuing to reject a formal coalition with the election winner. She has argued that the BSW should not immediately enter government after its first parliamentary breakthrough, but that discussions could focus on issues where the two parties share similar positions. Among the areas identified are the need for lower energy costs, particularly for the industrial region around Leuna; fundamental reform of public broadcasting; opposition to additional arms deliveries and financial assistance to Ukraine; and a stronger emphasis on peace policy. These issues could provide a basis for parliamentary cooperation without necessarily leading to a governing alliance.
The BSW nevertheless continues to oppose the election of Ulrich Siegmund, an AfD politician, as minister-president. Wagenknecht instead favors a nonpartisan candidate who could symbolize a political new beginning. At the same time, she acknowledges that such a proposal could not succeed without acceptance from the AfD and its voters. The position illustrates the central political dilemma facing Saxony-Anhalt: potential cooperation across party lines may be necessary to produce a functioning government, while the parties involved continue to draw significant distinctions between parliamentary cooperation, support for individual initiatives and participation in a formal coalition.
