BMW cancels leasing offer for AfD’s Tobias Rausch in Saxony-Anhalt
Tobias Rausch, the newly elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, faces the prospect of losing his official vehicle by November 2026 after BMW canceled its leasing offer on October 6, the exact day of his election, according to reporting by the “Zeit”. Rausch is the first member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to lead a state parliament in Germany, a party classified in the state as right-wing extremist.
BMW Cancels the Leasing Contract After the Election
The municipal and state authorities in Germany typically rely on domestic automotive brands for their official fleets, with BMW holding a major share of the contracts in Saxony-Anhalt. It was reported that BMW’s corporate headquarters in Munich withdrew the leasing proposal submitted to the Magdeburg parliament hours after the vote concluded. The vehicle designated for Rausch was already selected and ordered. Because the automaker declined to provide a public rationale for the cancellation, Rausch stated that he suspects political discrimination based on his party membership.
Other major German automotive manufacturers have not stepped in to fill the gap. It was noted that neither Mercedes nor Audi submitted competing offers to the parliamentary administration. Rausch currently relies on the 7er-BMW used by his Christian Democratic Union predecessor, Gunnar Schellenberger. That existing leasing agreement expires in November 2026, leaving the administrative staff with a tight deadline to source an alternative.
BMW Faces Criticism from AfD Leadership
The decision by BMW drew sharp criticism from parliamentary leadership within the AfD. In an open letter to the automaker, Rausch questioned whether a person’s political beliefs should dictate commercial relationships. BMW representatives declined to discuss specific client accounts, maintaining that the group never comments on individual customer relationships.
The action follows public remarks made by BMW CEO Milan Nedeljković just weeks prior. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Nedeljković asserted that right-wing populism and nationalism damage open economies dependent on international commerce. Corporate leadership views isolationism as contrary to the economic well-being of Germany. Meanwhile, state-level AfD politicians responded with irony, with Ulrich Siegmund announcing intentions to use a Simson moped for official travel to the state chancellery.
Federal politicians also engaged with the logistical fallout. Beatrix von Storch, deputy leader of the AfD federal parliamentary group, posted a public inquiry on X directed at Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, asking if his company would supply an official car to Rausch. Musk did not immediately respond to the inquiry.
Magdeburg Must Secure Alternative Vehicle by 2026
The administrative body in Magdeburg must secure an alternative vehicle before the current leasing contract terminates in November 2026. Without a replacement, Rausch could become the first state parliamentary president without a designated official car. Politics in Saxony-Anhalt remains tense following the October 6 secret ballot, where Rausch secured 48 votes—four more than the combined total of the AfD and BSW factions—showing support from anonymous lawmakers outside those parties, while the CDU faces internal disputes regarding how those votes were cast.
