Brandenburg’s State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke (SPD) is appealing to voters to prevent a difficult formation of a government in the state elections in two weeks. “I see major problems in Thuringia,” Liedtke told the German Press Agency. “For us in Brandenburg, that means that the state’s ability to act is our top priority.” A new state parliament will be elected in Brandenburg on September 22nd.
After the state elections in Thuringia, in which the AfD became the strongest force in a federal state for the first time, a coalition of the CDU, BSW and SPD is currently considered the most likely solution. However, it does not have a majority and is dependent on at least one vote from the Left. For the CDU, coalitions with the Left and the AfD are taboo following a decision.
Liedtke sees no ability to act with a strong AfD
The President of the State Parliament says she hopes that the Brandenburgers will show democratic understanding in the election. “As a citizen of our state, you can now think about who or what you will vote for in order to ensure this ability to act,” said Liedtke. “For me, the ability to act would no longer be there if a party that does not say what measures it wants to use to achieve a goal becomes too strong.”
The SPD politician is referring to the AfD and criticising its goals: “Remigration is not acceptable for me,” she said. “We must find solutions for a much better integration of newcomers – for example, in job creation.”
The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD regional association as a suspected case of right-wing extremism. If the AfD comes to power after the state elections, it wants to launch a massive deportation program and dissolve the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in its current form.
Poll sees AfD ahead of SPD
In the most recent survey by Infratest dimap for the RBB, the AfD came in at 27 percent, ahead of the SPD at 23 percent. The CDU came in at 18 percent, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at 15 percent and the Greens at 5 percent. The Left Party at 4 percent, BVB/Free Voters at 3 percent. If a party or association wins a direct mandate, it can enter the state parliament, even if it is below the five percent hurdle.
Study: Risk of unlawful allocation of mandates
A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation considers it conceivable that the AfD in Brandenburg could gain more than a third of the seats in the state parliament with an assumed result of just over a quarter of the second votes. It would then have the opportunity to block decisions that would require a two-thirds majority, such as constitutional amendments.
According to the study by political scientist Robert Vehrkamp, this scenario could come about if the AfD wins significantly more direct mandates than it is entitled to based on the second vote share of mandates and the other parties do not receive enough compensatory mandates. The size of the state parliament is capped at 110 mandates. There are currently 88 seats. According to the researcher, this scenario could lead to constitutional complaints because it would violate the equality of the election and the principles of proportional representation.
The President of the State Parliament does not share this fear. “I am optimistic,” said Liedtke. “But I also think that we need to tackle the electoral law and probably design it in a similar way to the federal government. The cap was basically the right thing to do.” But she also asks: “How big should the parliament be?”
State Parliament prepares for new electoral term
According to the President, preparations are underway for the new legislative period. “Do we have enough chairs and do they have enough space? Yes, everything is there,” she said. “In the plenary hall, you can regroup if a group gets bigger or smaller. And every MP will get their computer and whatever else they need for their parliamentary work.”
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