“Alternative for Germany“ (AfD) and the Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason, known until recently as the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance, have joined forces in the Saxony-Anhalt parliament for a symbolic proposal to end Germany's military support for Ukraine.
The vote has no direct practical impact, as state parliaments do not determine Germany's foreign policy, sanctions or military aid. Decisions on these issues are made at the federal level.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is the largest European provider of military aid to Kiev and has repeatedly reaffirmed its support for Ukraine. Berlin blames Russia for the war.
The vote coincided with the Nord Stream trial
The vote in Magdeburg took place on the day the trial of a former Ukrainian soldier accused of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipeline that supplies Russian gas to Germany began in Hamburg. The Ukrainian government denies any involvement in the sabotage.
The issue of support for Ukraine is one of the main points of contact between the AfD and the BSV. Both parties argue that German military aid prolongs the war, and that the funds could be used for domestic needs.
“What has happened in recent months and years in this war is - along with uncontrolled migration - one of the biggest problems of our time“, said Ulrich Sigmund, the leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt.
The other parties in the state parliament described the debate as a farce.
Signal of possible political cooperation
The adopted proposal is of significance above all for political relations in the state itself. The AfD achieved its biggest election victory in Saxony-Anhalt in September, but fell just short of an absolute majority. This left the party without enough mandates to form a government on its own.
The BSW does not want a formal coalition with the AfD, but is ready to support individual initiatives. The party's founder, Sarah Wagenknecht, told t-online: "The firewall has failed. We will shape policy through shifting majorities and push through as many of the BSV's positions as possible."
This way, the two parties can secure a majority on specific issues without announcing a formal coalition alliance. For now, the vote to stop military aid to Ukraine remains a political signal and does not change the decisions of the federal government in Berlin.
Sources: news.bg, internazionale.it