AfD candidate elected speaker of German regional parliament for first time
Tobias Rausch of the far-right AfD party has been elected speaker of the Saxony-Anhalt regional parliament in Germany. This marks the first time a far-right politician has held this position since World War II, sparking concerns among political opponents regarding democratic norms.
Why it matters
The election signals a significant shift in German politics, challenging the long-standing post-war consensus to exclude far-right parties from positions of power.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Tobias Rausch easily won the vote with the backing of nine MPs beyond his own party
A month after Germany's far-right AfD scored a decisive victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, the party's candidate Tobias Rausch has been elected as parliament speaker there too.
Not since World War Two has a far-right party secured the post of speaker, and protesters outside the building in Magdeburg held up banners saying, "Never again is now".
Although the AfD fell three seats short of a majority in last month's election, Rausch, 35, comfortably won Tuesday's vote with the support of 9 MPs from other parties.
"The days of political firewalls should be a thing of the past," Rausch said after the vote, rejecting a post-war consensus in German politics not to work with the far right.
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