Germany news: Söder demands CDU supports of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt reveal themselves
Bavaria's conservative leader has called on bloc members who voted for an AfD parliamentary speaker to come forward. DW has more.
On Monday, October 12, Bavarian leader Markus Söder urged members of the CDU to disclose their support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt. Söder made the call following the election of Tobias Rausch, a far-right AfD member, as the state's parliamentary speaker. This marked the first time an AfD member has held such a position since the party's establishment post-World War II.
Previously, the populist BSW party had pledged to back Rausch's nomination alongside the AfD. However, with 48 votes in his favor, other lawmakers must have also played a role in his victory. It is widely believed that these individuals were from the conservative CDU. The election has sparked outrage across Germany, particularly from CDU members who have accused their colleagues of forsaking the so-called "firewall" - an agreement among mainstream parties not to support the AfD.
Söder described the CDU members' actions as "pretty poor form," stating that they should have the courage to make their decision public. In a related development, co-chair of the Social Democrats and federal labor minister Bärbel Bas resigned due to open attacks by CDU members and the recent loss of a family member.
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