AfD’s Tillschneider becomes vice-president in Saxony-Anhalt
The election gives the AfD another prominent position in the German state parliament, alongside the presidency.
Follow-up to: AfD politician becomes parliamentary speaker in Saxony-Anhalt Tuesday, 6 October 2026, 13:39
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider of the AfD has been elected vice-president of the Saxony-Anhalt parliament. He received 44 votes in favour and 38 against, while it remains unclear which parliamentary groups outside the AfD supported him.
The election took place on Tuesday during the first sitting of the newly elected parliament in Magdeburg. The AfD parliamentary group has 39 seats, but Tillschneider received five more votes than the group has members. Because the vote was secret, the source of those additional votes remains unknown.
The result came a day after Tobias Rausch, also of the AfD, was elected president of the parliament. The party therefore holds two positions on the presidium. CDU politician Carsten Borchert was later elected second vice-president. An SPD candidate failed to win a majority.
Tillschneider has been a member of the state parliament since 2016 and is vice-president of both the AfD parliamentary group and the regional party organisation. Saxony-Anhalt’s domestic intelligence service has classified the regional AfD as a confirmed far-right extremist movement since 2023. Legal proceedings against that classification are under way.
According to Germany’s public broadcaster, Tillschneider played an important role in drawing up the programme with which the AfD is preparing for possible participation in government. It includes, among other things, an extensive campaign for deportation and so-called remigration. Tillschneider himself says he wants to perform his new role honestly and professionally.
The election is primarily of institutional significance. A vice-president leads sittings when the president is absent and represents the parliament externally. The role does not confer independent government power, but it does determine which political forces are visible in the leadership of the parliament.
The vote is therefore fuelling debate about the so-called firewall around the AfD. The party became the largest in the state election, but does not have a majority. The question is whether other parties are merely giving it procedural space or are thereby also contributing to the normalisation of a party classified as extremist by the regional security service.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Tillschneider was elected by 44 votes to 38.
- The vote was secret, and five votes did not come from the AfD parliamentary group.
- The regional AfD is classified as far-right extremist by the security service.
Left
Arguments A party classified as far-right extremist should not be given key positions in a parliament. Procedural rules must not be used to erode political exclusion step by step.
Values Protection of minorities, antifascist vigilance and the democratic rule of law.
Consequences The election could normalise far-right ideas and weaken minorities’ confidence in the parliament.
Centre
Arguments A parliament must distribute its offices according to transparent rules, even when a party is controversial. At the same time, the president and vice-president must demonstrably be able to stand above party interests.
Values Institutional continuity, equal treatment and careful procedures.
Consequences A formally inclusive approach keeps the parliament functional, but requires constant scrutiny of how office-holders perform their roles.
Right
Arguments Voters have made the AfD the largest party, and it should therefore not be systematically excluded from parliamentary offices. A secret ballot protects individual parliamentarians from party discipline.
Values Electoral legitimacy, equal treatment and parliamentary freedom.
Consequences The choice could give the AfD greater institutional credibility, but may also pressure other parties to define their boundaries clearly.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The factual core has been confirmed by Tagesschau, MDR and the state parliament. The unknown source of the votes and the political interpretation have explicitly been presented as uncertainty or debate.
- confirmed Hans-Thomas Tillschneider was elected vice-president with 44 votes in favour and 38 against. — Confirmed by Tagesschau, MDR and the parliament. source
- confirmed The AfD parliamentary group has 39 seats. — Mentioned in reporting on the vote. source
- confirmed The source of the five additional votes is unknown because the vote was secret. — Tagesschau reports that the additional votes cannot be attributed to parliamentary groups. source
- confirmed The regional AfD has been classified as far-right extremist by the security service since 2023. — Included in Tagesschau’s explanation. source
- confirmed Carsten Borchert was elected and SPD candidate Willingmann was eliminated. — Reported in the parliament’s further results. source
Editor's note
The result, vote count, offices and classification of the regional AfD have been confirmed. The source of the five additional votes is unknown and has not been filled in.Sources
The story so far
- Sunday, 4 October 2026, 21:00 CDU rules out backing AfD candidate
- Tuesday, 6 October 2026, 07:43 AfD seeks first parliamentary presidency
- Tuesday, 6 October 2026, 13:39 AfD politician becomes parliamentary speaker in Saxony-Anhalt
- Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 22:37 AfD’s Tillschneider becomes vice-president in Saxony-Anhalt (this article)