Björn Höcke, leader of the Alternative for Germany faction in Thuringia's state parliament, has publicly offered to back Sahra Wagenknecht as the state's next minister-president, proposing a coalition that would upend the current government. In a video posted to X urging Wagenknecht to lead the state, Höcke challenged the founder of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance to prove her party is not a "cartel party" and to open a new chapter in German political history before Saxony-Anhalt's state election on September 6.
The two parties hold a theoretical majority in the Thuringian parliament, with the AfD commanding 32 seats and the BSW 15, surpassing the 45-vote threshold needed for a governing majority. The current coalition governs with just 44 seats, lacking a stable majority. The AfD faction has also announced plans to pursue another constructive vote of no confidence against incumbent Minister-President Mario Voigt.
The maneuver comes as Chemnitz University of Technology rejected Voigt's appeal against the revocation of his doctoral title, adding political pressure to the sitting government.