Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Birgit Hesse re-elected as state parliament president

Birgit Hesse (SPD) at the beginning of the constituent session of the Landtag

The Social Democrats also place in the state parliament president in Schwerin in the future: In a battle vote for the parliamentary chair in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the SPD prevailed against the AfD. At the constitutive meeting of the newly elected state parliament a month ago, 39 out of 71 members voted for the SPD politician Birgit Hesse as state parliament president. The AfD candidate Carlos Dias Rodrigues, who also entered the race, received 31 votes in a secret ballot. One voice was invalid.

The AfD had won the state election on September 20 before the SPD of Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig. Therefore, the AfD had also made claim to the post of parliamentary president, because he according to parliamentary custom of the largest group. The SPD, the Left and the Greens had previously announced that they would not elect any AfD applicants to the Bureau. Further parties are not represented in the new Landtag.

The SPD, the Left and the Greens are currently negotiating in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania about the formation of a government coalition. Hesse has been president of the state parliament in Schwerin since 2019, so she remains in office. The candidate Rodrigues, appointed by the AfD, is a newcomer to the state parliament.

The AfD has 32 of the 71 seats in the state parliament. The SPD won 29 mandates in the election, the Left and the Greens come to five seats each.