Ulrich Siegmund announces bid for Saxony-Anhalt minister-president as AfD nominates Tobias Rausch

Bid for the state premiership

AfD parliamentary group leader Ulrich Siegmund announced on Tuesday that he will seek election as minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt during the state parliament session in December. The 35-year-old politician confirmed the decision following a meeting of the AfD parliamentary group in Magdeburg. Siegmund had previously stated in mid-September that he expected a new state administration to form in November or December.

After the group meeting concluded, Siegmund confirmed his timeline for the parliamentary vote.

I am standing for election in December.

The announcement establishes an explicit target date for the party's bid to secure executive office in the state following its recent electoral performance.

Parliamentary arithmetic and coalition obstacles

In the state election on 6 September, the AfD secured 43.8% of the vote, making it the largest parliamentary party with 39 mandates in the 83-seat Landtag. An absolute majority requires 42 votes to confirm a minister-president. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) holds 15 seats, while the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and Die Linke each hold 8 seats, and the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) holds 5 seats.

Incumbent Minister-President Sven Schulze of the CDU reaffirmed on Monday that his party will not cooperate with the AfD in any governing arrangement. Meanwhile, representatives from the SPD, Greens, Die Linke, and BSW have initiated preliminary talks in Magdeburg to evaluate possibilities for an alternative governing majority.

Nomination for parliament president

Ahead of the ministerial vote, the AfD parliamentary group unanimously voted to nominate 35-year-old Tobias Rausch as its candidate for Landtag president. Rausch, who was born in 1990 in Mellrichstadt and worked as an independent entrepreneur after completing training as a real estate agent, has served in the state parliament since 2016. He currently holds the position of parliamentary managing director for the AfD faction.

The election for parliament president is scheduled to take place during the constituent session of the Landtag on Tuesday, 6 October. The BSW, which commands five seats in the legislature, previously announced that its deputies will vote in favor of an AfD nominee for the presiding office. The remaining four parties (CDU, SPD, Greens, and Die Linke) collectively hold 39 seats, matching the AfD's 39 seats.

Green party leadership transition in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The political adjustments following regional elections extended beyond Saxony-Anhalt into neighboring Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where Green party co-chair Katharina Horn announced her departure from active leadership. The 28-year-old politician stated that she is stepping aside from her role as preliminary coalition discussions begin between the Greens, SPD, and Die Linke. Horn, a trained boatbuilder, cited the start of the high season at her shipyard as the reason for leaving negotiations and confirmed that she will not stand for reelection during the party executive vote in November. Co-chair Ole Krüger and lead election candidate Claudia Müller formally acknowledged her work as state talks proceed.