Head of Government | Von Angern takes on Siegmund

In addition to AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund, Left Party leader Eva von Angern is also running in the election of a new Prime Minister for Saxony-Anhalt Photo: Imago Eva von Angern is running for Prime Minister in Saxony-Anhalt. In the election in December, she will run in the first two rounds, said the parliamentary group leader of the Left in the state parliament. With her application, which was unanimously approved by the parliamentary group, she stands "for a Saxony-Anhalt that sticks together instead of allowing itself to be divided," added the 49-year-old. She has been a member of the state parliament since 2002 and, as the longest-serving member and therefore the senior president, opened the inaugural session of parliament in October, at which Tobias Rausch, the AfD's first state parliament president in Germany, was elected.

So far, the only other known candidate for the office of head of government is the AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund. His party clearly won the state elections on September 6th with 43.8 percent, but missed out on an absolute majority in parliament by three seats. Siegmund was initially convinced that he would still be elected in the first round and was apparently hoping for votes from the CDU parliamentary group. However, she decided to leave the room during the vote. The AfD man recently indicated to the “Magdeburger Volksstimme” that he might go to a second and third round of voting.

Von Angern describes her application for the election, which will most likely take place on December 15th, as a “political announcement.” In view of the possibility that a member of a right-wing extremist party will be elected prime minister of a country for the first time, she sees the Left as an "anti-fascist party" as having a duty, she told the "nd". They also want to “combat the perceived lack of alternatives and the widespread belief that there is no way around Siegmund.”

It is unusual that there is a candidacy from one of the smaller factions in the election of a head of government. However, there has already been a comparable case in Saxony-Anhalt. In 1993, after CDU Prime Minister Werner Münch resigned, his party colleague Christoph Bergner stood for election - and was confronted with a counter-candidacy from Green Party politician Hans-Jochen Tschiche. He not only received the votes of his five-member parliamentary group, but also of the twelve PDS MPs.

Von Angern's candidacy is supported by her party's state executive committee. They wanted to "show a clear political alternative to the AfD," it was said after a meeting of the state executive committee: "Saxony-Anhalt needs more cohesion, social security and modern future prospects." The party leaders Janina Böttger and Hendrik Lange also explained that they did not want "the future of Saxony-Anhalt to become the subject of a party-political black-peer game in which everyone ultimately shifts responsibility to others." They described the tactical considerations in the CDU as “hide-and-seek games” that do not help the country.

"We don't want the future of Saxony-Anhalt to become the subject of a party-political black-peer game."

Von Angern's application would only have a chance if the CDU, SPD, Greens, BSW and Left voted for her together. That is considered unlikely. SPD parliamentary group leader Katja Pähle spoke of a “political ego trip at the wrong possible time.” Everything must be done to prevent an AfD prime minister. But that is only possible with a proposal that is “acceptable to all democratic forces.”

After the state election, the SPD invited all other factions except the AfD to search for a non-partisan candidate, but received a rejection from the CDU. After Rausch's election, which presumably also included votes from the CDU, the SPD declared the initiative to be over.

There is no support for von Angern from the BSW either. Its deputy parliamentary group leader, Claudia Wittig, accused the Left of leaning far out of the window in the fight against the will of the voters. Alluding to the fact that the party only got 8.6 percent in the state elections and only has eight MPs, Wittig spoke of an “ambitious contribution to the political entertainment program”.

The BSW had declared that it voted for the AfD politician when Rausch was elected and has since joined forces with the party in the new state parliament on a motion for a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace negotiations with Russia. However, the five BSW MPs want to abstain from the election of the Prime Minister.

If the CDU parliamentary group sticks to its plan to leave the hall, it remains unclear where Siegmund will get the missing three votes from. An absolute majority is required in the first and second rounds of the Prime Minister election - that is 42 votes. That's why Siegmund recently indicated that he wouldn't just rely on the first round of voting. »We may have to reassess the situation. We'll see whether I run for a second or third time - or someone else -," he told the "Volksstimme". His original statement was made before the CDU decided to leave the hall. He spoke of “rules of procedure” and a new circumstance “that I have to evaluate.”

Whether the CDU parliamentary group sticks to its idea also depends on the results of a state party conference on December 5th. A new state board is elected at this point; The previous incumbent, Sven Schulze, who has also been acting Prime Minister and parliamentary group leader, will not run again. There has been an internal dispute for weeks over the behavior of the 15-member CDU parliamentary group in the prime minister election.

If the election of a head of government is not successful in the first round, a second round must take place within seven days. If this also fails, the state parliament will vote within another 14 days on whether to end the electoral period early. If this is not decided, a third round of voting will take place immediately, in which only a majority of the votes cast is required.

It remains to be seen whether von Angern will also take part in this, she told the “nd”. Her candidacy has already brought “dynamism” to the process. And it may also have an impact on the tactical considerations of some MPs. According to Angerns, it is conceivable that as a result of the second candidacy, parliamentarians will no longer be able to vote "no", but will only be able to decide on their voting slip between a "yes" for one of the two candidates or an abstention.

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