PROTESTS were sparked in Germany’s eastern state of Thuringia today after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) joined forces with two conservative parties in the state parliament to oust incumbent Die Linke president Bodo Ramelow.

State elections were held in October, but the left-wing premier was unable to form a majority, even in a coalition with the Green Party and the Social Democrats.

Despite this, Mr Ramelow had been expected to be elected as president of Thuringia’s parliament. But in a shock result, the leader of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) Thomas Kemmerich won by just one vote after the AfD swung behind him.

The FDP had only just cleared the 5 per cent threshold to have representation in the regional parliament.

The party allied with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), but Mr Kemmerich would not have won without the votes of the AfD.

CDU leader in Thuringia Mike Mohring denied that the move amounted to an informal coalition with the fascist party. The CDU “is not responsible for the voting behaviour of other parties,” he said.

But AfD co-leader Alexander Gauland hailed the outcome as a sign that “excluding the AfD is no longer an option.”

Angry protests were continuing outside Thuringia’s parliament building in Erfurt as the Star went to press.