Beschlussfähigkeit: Innenminister beschließen nicht mehr zwingend einstimmig

The Council of Interior Ministers (IMK) has abandoned its principle of unanimous decision-making, instead adopting a rule that a decision is considered made if it receives the support of a majority of at least 13 out of 16 votes. This change was announced by the German news agency DPA, following a decision made several days ago via a circulating resolution.

The IMK, which has no formal rules, operates on the basis of this unanimity principle, which allows for decisions to be made even in the presence of abstentions. The Council is the permanent conference of Interior Ministers and State Secretaries from the German states, where they coordinate policies and make collective decisions.

The Federal Interior Minister participates in their meetings as a regular guest with the right to speak and make motions, but without a vote, and represents the federal government's interests. The leadership of the federal security services provides updates on the current situation at regular sessions held twice a year. Prime Minister of Lower Saxony Daniela Behrens (SPD) had said at the Autumn Conference 2025 that she assumed that the IMK would ensure "that we remain capable of making decisions, so that the AfD cannot block important decisions" in the event of AfD government participation in a state.

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) had stated at the same event that "an AfD representative at a place as important for security would be fatal." The IMK would do everything to remain capable of action in such a case. At the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6th, the AfD, led by their top candidate Ulrich Siegmund with 43.8% of the vote compared to the CDU's 17.2%, became the strongest force without an absolute majority.

They have still declared their intention to run Siegmund as the first AfD Minister President in December. However, they had previously ruled out governing without their own majority. Siegmund's first promise as an AfD candidate has already become history.