- The head of the BSW declares appointment of a new prime minister.
In Thuringia, if CDU's leading candidate Mario Voigt falls short of securing votes from the BSW in a minister-president election, it's unlikely they'll back him if their party finishes beneath the Wagenknecht party on election day. As per Katja Wolf, BSW's top candidate in Thuringia, "If we outperform him, democratic norms dictate: The dominant force in the coalition gets to make the personnel proposal." However, in a scenario where the CDU surpasses BSW and they've made significant progress in negotiations, discussions, and coalition formation, Wolf could envision choosing Voigt as the minister-president.
The elections for state parliaments are happening in Thuringia and Saxony on Sunday. Data from recent surveys hint at a close battle for second place between CDU and the Wagenknecht party. With the AfD potentially leading the pack, no other party is inclined to enter into a coalition with them. The AfD, which the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution marks as right-wing extremist, might then have the right to form a government. As of late, BSW has only marginally lagged behind CDU, securing scores between 17 and 20 percent, with CDU registering 21 to 23 percent.
Wolf once more unequivocally refuses to commit to a coalition with the AfD but hasn't dismissed the possibility of partnering with the Left party, led by Thuringia's current Minister-President, Bodo Ramelow. According to her, "The chances depend on the election results. I don't think it's impossible if we can jointly ensure a stable majority in Thuringia."
On Sunday, the elections for state parliaments in Thuringia and Saxony are taking place. If the elections result in a close battle between CDU and the Wagenknecht party for the second place, as suggested by recent surveys, it's crucial for CDU's leading candidate Mario Voigt to secure votes from BSW in the minister-president election, as on Sunday, democratic norms could make the dominant force in the potential coalition responsible for proposing the minister-president.
