Status: 07/23/2021 5:00 a.m.
With a vote of no confidence, the AfD wants to overthrow Prime Minister Ramelow in the Erfurt state parliament – AfD right-winger Höcke should replace him. That this succeeds is practically impossible. The announced voting behavior of the CDU is causing a stir.
Very often when it comes to the AfD in the Erfurt state parliament, it gets loud. Also when the constructive vote of no confidence of the AfD against Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) was discussed for the first time. Session chair Madeleine Henfling warned: “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to ask for a bit of quiet now. Perhaps you will now slow down a bit and we can now continue a completely normal plenary debate here.”
Shortly beforehand, AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke had urgently addressed the CDU and FDP with a view to the vote of no confidence: “Dear colleagues from the FDP and the CDU, I call out to you once again: Cut the Gordian knot. We will shake hands with you for any kind of collaboration and cooperation. Thuringia is not lost yet. Thank you. ”
CDU wants to stay seated
But the CDU refuses. The group will not take an active part in today’s vote. Group leader Mario Voigt explained to the MDR: “Björn Höcke is an extremist and he will never get a vote from the CDU. For this reason we will not take part in the vote, because playing the game is already the first beginning to make Thuringia a mockery. The most visible The sign to oppose this farce by Björn Höcke and the AfD is not to take part in the vote. Because that also makes it clear what he intends to do, namely to present Parliament and Thuringia. ”
During the vote, the 21 members of the CDU parliamentary group will not rise from their seats, i.e. they will not throw a ballot into the ballot box – and will therefore neither vote for nor against Björn Höcke.
“No Attitude”
There is criticism for this – on the Internet, from CDU members outside Thuringia and from the other parliamentary groups. Left parliamentary group leader Steffen Dittes said in the state parliament: “In view of the present proposal by the AfD parliamentary group, it is a matter of course for the democrats in this house and the only correct answer, namely to vote ‘no’ and not send the signal to the public, that you can simply stay out of this question. ”
The head of the Greens parliamentary group, Astrid Rothe-Beinlich, also gets angry about the behavior of the CDU: “You obviously like to be pulled through the arena on a leash or have no posture. You can see that in all the reports where it is It’s about whether Mr. Höcke, a proven fascist, should become Prime Minister in Thuringia or not, and the CDU can think of nothing else than to say: ‘We’ll either go out or we’ll stay seated.’ There is only one answer to this question and it is: ‘No!’ And obviously they have no answer to that question. ”
Complicated strategies
What many participants do not mention: On the one hand, it is quite conceivable in the CDU parliamentary group that individual MPs will vote for Björn Höcke in the secret ballot – be it out of provocation, out of frustration or to wipe out parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt.
At the same time, however, the suspicion is also circulating – and now it is getting complicated: MPs from the Left, SPD or Greens could for their part cast one, two or three votes for Höcke in order to “cheer” these votes on to the CDU, so to speak. Difficult conditions under which the groups want to work together for another three years.
No confidence vote Höcke against Ramelow
Theresa Liebig, MDR, July 22, 2021 8:26 p.m.