Historic First in Germany: Far-Right AfD Lawmaker Elected State Parliament President

A politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been elected president of a regional parliament for the first time, Spanish newspaper El País and Croatian news outlet Index.hr reported.

The vote took place in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, one month after the party's victory in the regional election. Tobias Rausch was chosen to lead the assembly, securing support from nationalist left lawmakers as well as deputies from the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

The appointment marks a notable political precedent in the country, where mainstream parties had previously refused to grant parliamentary leadership positions to AfD members. Further details have not yet been released.