Thuringia chooses: Mario Voigt surprises as the new prime minister!

Thuringia chooses: Mario Voigt surprises as the new prime minister!

A historical turn in the Thuringian state parliament: Mario Voigt from the CDU was surprisingly elected in the first ballot as the new prime minister. Thanks to a unique alliance of the so-called "blackberry coalition", which also includes the BSW and the SPD, 51 out of 88 votes could be mobilized for it. The decision to put Voigt into office became possible by supporting the Left Party, which wanted to avoid reinforcing the controversial AfD under Björn Höcke. This unexpected cooperation is a break with the previous incompatibility resolutions of the CDU, which had excluded a cooperation with the left, such as

The choice is considered precisely by many experts, not only on the basis of the political circumstances, but also because according to the chaotic events of 2020, when the AfD had a decisive influence on the election of the prime minister, the following coalition formation processes fundamentally changed. Voigt, who now replaces Bodo Ramelow (left), thanked his inaugural speech and emphasized the "spirit of cooperation and a new political culture". The Left Party, which has often been in opposition to the CDU in the past, clearly articulated its point of view for Voigt for Voigt: "The AfD must not get a stage," said the group leader Christian Schaft, like State wave noted.

The "blackberry coalition" includes a variety of political strategies that will be decisive in this legislative period. In total, the three partners only have 44 seats in the state parliament, a stalemate, which means that compromises and clever negotiations are necessary for a successful government. However, experts warn that differences between the coalition partners could occur in particular on migration -political issues, which could endanger the stability of the new alliance. Voigt could find itself in his new position with considerable challenges if the contractual agreements between the CDU and the left do not go hand in hand with a uniform line in politics.