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BMW withdraws lease offer for Saxony-Anhalt parliament chairman

◆1 source

Tobias Rausch, an AfD politician elected chairman of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, was due to receive a BMW as a service car, but the manufacturer withdrew its lease offer without giving a reason. The AfD branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been classified as far right by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, and a BMW board member had previously described far-right parties as “toxic to the economy.” Rausch said he was surprised and disappointed in a letter to BMW’s board and announced that he would use his private car for official appointments. No other car brand had offered him a service car. AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund said he had switched to a Simson moped in solidarity with Rausch.

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Politics

Tobias Rausch elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament

5 sources

Tobias Rausch of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament at its inaugural session in Magdeburg. Reports described this as the first time since the Second World War that an AfD or far-right politician has held the presidency of a German state parliament. One report said Rausch, 35, was elected with support from the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and will hold the post for five years. Another report said the position gives him authority over access to the parliament building.

Politics

Protest against cooperation with AfD in Magdeburg

2 sources

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament in Magdeburg as newly elected legislators met for their inaugural session. They urged other parties not to cooperate with the far-right AfD. The agenda included electing a parliamentary president, a post expected to go to AfD member Tobias Rausch.