Berlin Parliament Parties Set to Reject AfD's Vice President Nominee

When Berlin's newly elected state parliament holds its inaugural session on October 29, the AfD will for the first time be entitled to nominate one of the two vice presidents — a right granted to the third-strongest faction under parliamentary rules. The party put forward Martin Trefzer, but a survey by the German Press Agency found that the Left, CDU, Greens, and SPD all plan to vote against him. The Greens said the role demands "integrity, impartiality, and a firm commitment to democracy," qualities they do not see in the AfD. The Left, whose candidate Hendrikje Klein is expected to become parliament president, said forces hostile to democracy should not hold positions of influence. The SPD stated support for Trefzer was out of the question, and the CDU indicated it would likely not back him either. AfD faction leader Kristin Brinker, who nominated Trefzer on October 6, argued the September 20 election result must be reflected in the composition of the parliamentary leadership and called on other parties to judge him on merit rather than party membership. The Left won that election with 25.7% of the vote, ahead of the CDU at 18.8%, the AfD at 16.3%, the Greens at 14.3%, and the SPD at 12.1%. The CDU's nominee for the second vice-presidential slot is current parliament president Cornelia Seibeld, who is expected to gain a majority. Meanwhile, the Left, Greens, and SPD are working toward forming a coalition government, having agreed in a sounding paper on October 17 to push for an AfD ban proceeding via the Bundesrat.