(Adnkronos) – The parliament of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has approved, with the votes of AfD (which controls 39 out of 83 seats in the regional assembly elected on September 6) and BSW (which won 5 seats), a motion calling for the revocation of sanctions against Russia and a halt to arms shipments to Ukraine. The motion was approved in an extraordinary plenary session. CDU, SPD, Greens, and the Left Party (Linke) voted against it. There were no abstentions.
Although not forming an official coalition or alliance, AfD and BSW jointly presented the motion to the regional parliament of Saxony-Anhalt: the two formations have committed to collaborating on issues of common interest, such as the cessation of German support for Kyiv. “Our money for our country,” declared Ulrich Siegmund of the AfD, who aims to become the first party member to hold the office of regional Prime Minister.
In the document, the two parliamentary groups declare the failure of the current policy of sanctions, arms supplies, and aid. Arms supplies and funds destined for Ukraine that go beyond humanitarian aid should be immediately suspended. According to the motion, further arms supplies would only prolong the war and increase the risk of further escalation. The regional government should therefore commit “with all means at its disposal” to prevent further escalation in Ukraine. This should happen especially “through a specific initiative in the Bundesrat,” the Chamber of Regions of the federal Parliament.
The founder of BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht, said she sees in the joint motion by AfD and BSW the end of the so-called “cordon sanitaire” (Brandmauer) against the AfD. “The cordon sanitaire has failed,” she declared to the t-online portal, as reported in a note. In Saxony-Anhalt, a new path is being taken: the “Magdeburg Way.” The BSW intends to make policy based on “variable majorities” to assert as many of its positions as possible.
In the September elections, the AfD narrowly missed an absolute majority and is now holding talks with other parliamentarians – including those from the populist BSW party – in an attempt to form its first regional government. Last week, the BSW supported the candidacy of Tobias Rausch (AfD) for the presidency of the regional parliament, allowing him to become the highest elected official of the party in its 13-year history. However, Sahra Wagenknecht’s party has clarified that it does not intend to support Siegmund’s candidacy for regional prime minister.
“Russia unleashed this war and must end it by withdrawing its troops from Ukraine,” declared outgoing Prime Minister Sven Schulze, a conservative CDU (Christian Democratic Union) member, emphasizing that the Saxony-Anhalt parliament has no competence in foreign policy, a prerogative reserved for the federal government and the Berlin parliament. Criticism also came from the Linke: “Your motion completely lacks any reference to the fact that Russian troops are fighting on Ukrainian territory and killing civilians in cities with drones and missiles. Your motion ignores this reality: it tells the war in Ukraine from the aggressors’ point of view,” declared MP Eva von Angern. The SPD group leader, Katja Pähle, made an appeal in Russian to Vladimir Putin to “finally stop” the war.
