Upheaval in Thuringia: CDU Petitions the State Constitutional Court for Intervention
In Thuringia, following the recent election, the state parliament convenes for the first time. Leadership of the parliament is up for grabs under the AfD's senior president, with a new parliamentary leadership set to be chosen. However, the meetings are repeatedly interrupted, prompting the CDU to take drastic measures.
During the inaugural plenary session post-election, the CDU faction in the Thuringian state parliament has applied to the state constitutional court. The court is expected to decide which set of rules should govern the election process, as per comments made by the CDU's parliamentary business manager, Andreas Bühl. A timeline for the court's decision remains uncertain.
The source of this dispute lies in the AfD's insistence on having exclusive proposal rights to fill the role of the state parliament president. Meanwhile, the opposing factions aim to modify the procedural guidelines, enabling a candidate for the presidency to be chosen from the parliament's midpoint during the first round of voting. AfD's senior president, Jürgen Treutler, has postponed the session until Saturday, causing friction among the other factions who believed they should have been allowed to put forward the revised procedural proposal at once. Treutler justified his decision by stating that the parliament should first be constituted and a new president elected before considering any procedural changes.
A Glimpse into the Minister President Election
The AfD secured the title of the dominant faction in the state election held on September 1, traditionally granting them the right to suggest a candidate for state parliament president. However, CDU, BSW, SPD, and The Left, Thuringia's other state parliament members, have expressed their intent to reject an AfD candidate for the post. This stance was evident during CDU leader Mario Voigt's comment that the "custodian of the constitution" should not be originated from a party deemed right-wing extremist.
The state parliament president carries significant influence in Thuringia, with the power to call parliament sessions at will and lead the parliament's administrative operations. In the event of a minister president election, the president ensures the smooth execution of the formal process. The proceedings of the initial state parliament session serve as a precursor to the impending election of the minister president.
The CDU, as the second strongest faction, plans to initiate exploratory discussions alongside the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and the SPD within the coming week to investigate potential coalition possibilities. However, a black-red-green coalition would only amass 44 seats in the state parliament, falling short of the required majority by a single vote.
The AfD, spearheaded by far-right leader Björn Höcke, set a national record of 32.8% in the state election, thereby gaining a powerful veto option in the state parliament. The Thuringian AfD has been labeled as right-wing extremist by the state's constitutional protection office since 2021 and is under close scrutiny.
The CDU recorded 23.6% in the state election, and Mario Voigt plans to put forward his party leader as the minister president candidate for the first time in a decade in Thuringia. BSW entered the picture unexpectedly with 15.8%, the Left, with incumbent minister president Bodo Ramelow, saw 13.1% of votes, and the SPD secured 6.1%.
Despite the AfD's claim to propose the state parliament president, the CDU and its allies aim to alter the voting procedure, allowing a candidate from the parliament's midpoint to be considered during the first round. The CDU faction in the Thuringian state parliament has sought the state constitutional court's intervention in this matter.
