Thuringia AfD launches vote of no confidence against Mario Voigt

The AfD has initiated a constructive vote of no confidence in the Thuringian Landtag, seeking to replace current Minister President Mario Voigt (CDU) with party leader Björn Höcke. To succeed, Höcke requires 45 votes, while his parliamentary group holds only 32 seats.

Major opposition and coalition parties, including the CDU, SPD, BSW, and Die Linke, have signaled they will not support Höcke. The BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht) has explicitly rejected his candidacy, describing him as unselectable due to his “völkisch” ideology and labeling the upcoming vote a “show event.” Die Linke also stated that voting for Höcke would be a threat to democracy, despite their own disagreements with the current government.

The vote serves as a critical test for the stability of Mario Voigt’s coalition, particularly regarding the support of the BSW.