Politics · Germany · 9 hrs ago
Berlin AfD candidate gets extra votes but fails to win deputy speaker post
In Berlin’s state parliament, AfD candidate Martin Trefzer received 40 votes in a secret ballot for deputy speaker.
The AfD has 29 members in the parliament, so his vote total was higher than the party’s numbers.
Green politician Elina Schumacher accused 11 CDU members of voting for Trefzer, but the secret ballot means individual votes are not known.
She said the result raised doubts about whether the CDU was maintaining a firm boundary against the AfD.
The CDU has a policy ruling out cooperation with the AfD, and the dispute echoes a recent controversy over extra votes for an AfD candidate in Saxony-Anhalt.
Trefzer still lost the election, and the second deputy speaker position remains vacant for now.
AfD candidate Martin Trefzer received 40 votes in a secret election for deputy speaker of Berlin’s state parliament, despite his party having 29 seats.
Trefzer failed to win the post.
Green Party lawmaker Elina Schumacher accused the CDU of providing 11 votes for Trefzer.
The CDU’s position on the allegation was not reported.
The second deputy speaker post remains vacant.
- Who
- Martin Trefzer, the AfD candidate for deputy speaker, and the members of Berlin’s state parliament.
- What
- Trefzer received 40 votes but failed to win the post. Elina Schumacher accused CDU members of supplying 11 of those votes.
- When
- At the time of the parliament’s constituent session, nearly six weeks after Berlin’s election. The exact date of the vote is not stated.
- Where
- Berlin’s state parliament, the Abgeordnetenhaus.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Hendrikje Klein of the Left Party was elected president of the Berlin parliament at its constituent session.
Martin Trefzer received 40 votes in the secret election for deputy speaker but failed to win the post.
- AfD seats
- 29
- Votes for Trefzer
- 40
- Votes attributed to CDU members
- 11, according to Elina Schumacher
- Parliament president
- Hendrikje Klein of the Left Party
- Vacant post
- The second deputy speaker position
What people are saying
That is one third of the CDU parliamentary group.
I don’t see a stable firewall against the AfD in the CDU right now.
I think this is a huge scandal.