Politics · Germany · 3 hrs ago
Saxony-Anhalt CDU faces renewed divisions before faction meeting
The Saxony-Anhalt CDU’s 15 lawmakers remain divided after months of internal conflict.
The dispute follows a poor election result and concerns how the party should respond to a possible AfD-led government.
Sven Schulze gave up the state party leadership after the election, then became the faction’s new leader in a contest against Guido Heuer.
The vote left the lawmakers split into camps backing Schulze and Heuer.
Before the state parliament elects a minister-president in early December, the faction had agreed its members would not cast a vote, to avoid being accused of backing AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund.
Heuer then said he would not leave the chamber during that vote, breaking with the agreed approach.
The lawmakers are due to meet on Tuesday to discuss their disagreements and how to handle the upcoming vote.
Saxony-Anhalt’s 15-member CDU parliamentary group is divided into two almost equally sized camps led by Sven Schulze and Guido Heuer.
The divisions are expected to feature at a group meeting on Tuesday, after weeks of mistrust among members.
Schulze became group leader after a contested vote against Heuer, a day after stepping down as party leader following the election.
The group is also debating how to handle a possible AfD-led government and the December vote for state premier.
Disagreement over how to respond to that vote has added to tensions within the party.
- Who
- Saxony-Anhalt’s CDU parliamentary group, split between camps led by Sven Schulze and Guido Heuer.
- What
- The group faces renewed internal divisions ahead of a meeting.
- When
- Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- Where
- Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
- Why
- Members disagree over leadership and strategy, including how to handle a possible AfD-led government and the state premier vote.
Schulze camp
Heuer camp
Group leadership
Schulze camp
Schulze became group leader after a contested vote.
Heuer camp
Heuer, the former group leader, challenged Schulze in the vote and did not want to step aside.
Approach to the premier vote
Schulze camp
The group had agreed that its members would not cast a vote, to avoid being accused of supporting an AfD premier.
Heuer camp
Heuer said he would not leave the chamber during the vote, contrary to the agreed approach.
Sven Schulze stepped down as CDU party leader.
Schulze was elected parliamentary group leader in a contested vote against incumbent Guido Heuer.
The CDU members had not met, as the state’s autumn holidays began.
Heuer said he would stay in the chamber during the December premier vote, despite the group’s agreement that its members would not cast a vote.
The CDU parliamentary group was due to meet.
- Parliamentary group
- 15 CDU members
- Group leader
- Sven Schulze
- Former group leader
- Guido Heuer
- Group divisions
- Schulze and Heuer camps, described as almost equally large
- State premier vote
- Scheduled for early December
What people are saying
We need to talk about how we as a CDU parliamentary group communicated over the past two weeks.
We looked bad. We need to pull together now.