The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Saxony-Anhalt has faced sharp criticism from both the Green Party and the Left Party following photos that surfaced showing CDU faction leader Guido Heuer with AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund during the state election campaign.
Clara Bünger, the Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair for the Left Party in the Bundestag, stated to Spiegel that these photos were not a mere accident. She criticized Heuer for having asserted that he had politically confronted Siegmund, only for the events to reveal that this claim was untrue. Bünger argued that the CDU faction leader was seen posing with an individual who advocates “remigration as an absolute necessity” and whose rallies feature chants for victory for the AfD. She questioned how the CDU could credibly claim to distance itself from the AfD when it appeared to consistently do the opposite. The parliamentary representative demanded that the CDU decide its future role: “a stepladder for fascists or a democratic conservative party. Both are not possible.”
The Green Party also voiced its disapproval. Felix Banaszak, leader of the Greens, told Spiegel that the CDU faction leader in Saxony-Anhalt was pictured “happily taking photos” with the AfD top candidate. He added that the BSW was planning to abstain from voting in the state parliament even if an AfD representative was listed as a candidate for Minister-President. Banaszak expressed confusion, wondering whether he should laugh or cry, suggesting that both the CDU and BSW seemed to have abandoned the democratic struggle against far-right elements before the campaign even properly began.
The Green leader further accused the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt of “indignified maneuvering.” He noted that the video clips demonstrated a clear affinity between the two men and hinted at a lack of necessary distance between them. Banaszak voiced doubts about whether the CDU’s public stance of clear separation from the AfD would survive beyond the election day. This controversy followed initial reports where Heuer described the encounter as “confrontational,” claims that were subsequently undermined by the dissemination of a video excerpt.
