Politics · Germany · 2 hrs ago
Söder condemns alleged secret AfD defections in Saxony-Anhalt vote
Markus Söder, the leader of Bavaria and a member of the CSU, criticized alleged secret defections to the far-right AfD during a vote for the state parliament president in Saxony-Anhalt.
He said anyone changing political sides should do so openly and move to the party they support.
The vote came after state elections in eastern Germany that Söder described as a warning to the federal government in Berlin.
He also questioned Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s suggestion that the close result might have involved a false-flag operation.
Söder said the result could mean that someone wanted to harm Sven Schulze, a CDU leader in Saxony-Anhalt who took responsibility for the outcome.
He argued that the AfD should govern the state because voters had clearly backed it and the BSW, another party.
Söder also said the state parliament would soon consider a motion on Russia and Ukraine, which he presented as a sign of the direction its future leaders might take.
Bavarian state premier Markus Söder condemned people he said had secretly defected from the AfD during the vote for Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament president.
Söder said anyone considering such a move should make it public and move openly to the corresponding political camp.
He questioned Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s suggestion that a false-flag operation may have influenced the vote, saying the theory was far-fetched.
Söder described the eastern state election results as a rebuke to federal policy and said they were deeply alarming.
He also said the AfD was not a normal party and called for the Union to confront it more directly.
- Who
- Markus Söder, the Bavarian state premier and CSU leader, criticized alleged secret AfD defectors.
- What
- Söder condemned alleged defections during the vote for Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament president and questioned a false-flag theory raised by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
- When
- Söder made the comments in an interview published on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- The vote was in Saxony-Anhalt; Söder made the comments on Caren Miosga’s programme.
- Why
- Söder said anyone changing political allegiance should do so openly. He also said the close result could indicate someone wanted to harm Sven Schulze.
Markus Söder
Friedrich Merz
False-flag theory
Markus Söder
Söder called Merz’s suggestion that a false-flag operation may have contributed to the result far-fetched and said he believed the outcome reflected deep hurt within the CDU parliamentary group.
Friedrich Merz
Merz warned that a false-flag operation may have contributed to the vote for the AfD state parliament president.
I think it is shabby!
Anyone considering doing something like that should have the backbone to make it public and preferably move in the corresponding political direction straight away.
The theory is certainly far-fetched.
The AfD is not a normal party.
Saxony-Anhalt held a state election, followed by a vote for the state parliament president in which the alleged defections took place.
Bild published Söder’s criticism of the alleged secret AfD defections and his comments on the vote.
- Speaker
- Markus Söder
- Position
- Bavarian state premier and CSU leader
- Vote location
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Published
- October 12, 2026
- Person discussed
- Sven Schulze, CDU parliamentary group leader
Sources
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