Landtag vote and secret ballot results

On 6 October 2026 at 12:40, the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt elected Tobias Rausch of Alternative for Germany (AfD) as its president during its inaugural session in Magdeburg. The 35-year-old politician secured 48 votes in a secret ballot, surpassing the 42 votes needed for an absolute majority in the 83-seat chamber. Official tallies recorded between 28 and 29 votes against and five abstentions. AfD holds 39 seats following the September 2026 regional election, in which the party secured nearly 44% of the vote, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) holds five seats. The four parties committed to the cordon sanitaire (the Christian Democratic Union with 15 seats, The Left, the Greens, and the Social Democratic Party) hold 39 seats combined. The tally of 48 votes confirmed that at least four lawmakers from other factions cast ballots for Rausch.

AfD39

CDU, SPD, The Left, Greens39

BSW5

AfD

39 seats

CDU, SPD, The Left, Greens

39 seats

BSW

5 seats

Data from the article text

Inaugural session and street protests

Before the vote commenced, between 350 and 500 demonstrators assembled in Magdeburg Cathedral Square opposite the parliament building to oppose far-right appointments. The inaugural parliamentary session was formally opened by age president Eva von Angern of The Left party, who had joined the demonstration earlier in the morning. In her address to the plenary, von Angern recalled Clara Zetkin, who opened the Reichstag in 1932, and cited Article 1 of the German Basic Law regarding the inviolability of human dignity across all backgrounds, convictions, and religions. AfD legislators did not applaud during her remarks or her reference to former German President Richard von Weizsäcker. Following his victory, Rausch addressed the chamber and outlined his administrative approach as Landtag president.

“My door will be open, I will listen, take various opinions seriously and try to make decisions in a transparent and understandable manner.”

Reactions across party lines

The result in Magdeburg drew contrasting reactions across regional and federal political circles. Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz, parliamentary leader of the Greens in Saxony-Anhalt, stated that a red line was crossed and pledged to defend democratic principles and minority rights. Andreas Schmidt, regional leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), described Rausch's election as regrettable, noting that Rausch also faces local scrutiny over family nepotism allegations involving his father, who serves as AfD state vice president. In Berlin, AfD federal co-leader Alice Weidel described Rausch's election as a success and argued that traditional parties must dismantle the political firewall against her party.

“In the end, in a democracy, people must talk to each other and cannot hide behind undemocratic cordons sanitaires.”

Parliamentary leadership and December premier vote

Following Rausch's election, the Landtag also selected AfD lawmaker Hans-Thomas Tillschneider as vice president by a vote of 44 in favour to 38 against. Tillschneider, an Islamic studies scholar born in Timișoara in 1978, has repeatedly drawn parliamentary criticism over controversial conduct and his ties to Russia. The Saxony-Anhalt branch of AfD remains formally classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation by state intelligence authorities. The vote establishes the political framework for December 2026, when 35-year-old AfD parliamentary leader Ulrich Siegmund will seek election as regional minister-president. Siegmund needs support from at least three lawmakers outside AfD to secure a governing majority, as no party has openly agreed to enter a coalition.