Linke weighs own candidate against AfD's Ulrich Siegmund in Saxony-Anhalt

Seat arithmetic behind the vote

Ulrich Siegmund of the AfD wants to be elected minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt in December, but his faction holds 39 seats, while an absolute majority requires 42 votes in the first and second ballots. He is therefore three votes short. The CDU faction has resolved to leave the chamber during the vote, yet at least one CDU member has announced that he will stay in the hall. The BSW plans to abstain, which leaves open how Siegmund could reach a majority. Siegmund has announced that he will stand in the first ballot.

The CDU decision is disputed inside the party. It follows the election of AfD member Tobias Rausch as Landtag president, after which CDU members were accused of having given Rausch votes. The CDU state party conference on 5 December is to elect a new state board, and acting minister-president Sven Schulze (CDU) is not seeking re-election as state party chair.

Linke considers its own candidate

Eva von Angern, who has led the Linke faction since 2020, is considering running against Siegmund. The faction will discuss the idea at its meeting on Tuesday, 10 November, a spokesperson confirmed. For now the consideration applies to the first ballot only. A candidacy by von Angern had not been on the agenda of that meeting until now, and it is still unclear whether she has committed to standing in the first ballot.

Von Angern told the Magdeburger Volksstimme that the faction was weighing the option:

“That is why we are discussing putting forward a real alternative in the form of our own candidate for the office of minister-president.”

The Linke holds eight of the 83 seats after winning 8.6% and placing fifth in the 6 September election. Von Angern would only have a chance if the CDU, SPD, Greens, BSW and Linke all voted for her, a scenario regarded as unlikely. Former Linke Landtag member Nicole Anger criticised the idea on X, saying von Angern had posted the worst result the party has recorded in a state election as lead candidate.

“Humility would be appropriate.”

Procedure and timing

If no candidate wins a majority in the first ballot, a second ballot must take place within seven days. If that also fails, the Landtag has a further 14 days to vote on whether to end the term early. If that vote does not pass, a third ballot follows immediately, in which only a simple majority of the votes cast is required. The key dates so far are shown in the chart below.

Vote shares in the September election

In the 6 September Landtag election the AfD took 43.8% and finished well ahead of all other parties, while the Linke won 8.6% and placed fifth. Those results are the basis for the current seat distribution in the chamber. The chart compares the two parties' shares.

AfD43.8%

Linke8.6%

AfD

43.8 %

Linke

8.6 %

Data from the article text