The CDU parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt has decided to completely exit the plenary hall during the planned December vote for AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund as Minister-President. This decision was made by the faction during a lengthy three-hour session held in Magdeburg on Tuesday.
CDU group leader and current Minister-President Sven Schulze stated that the faction reached this consensus to prevent any suspicion that CDU votes might be supporting an AfD candidate for Minister-President. The group plans for 14 out of its 15 members to vote in favor of the measure, while former group leader Guido Heuer intends to abstain.
This move comes amid increasing doubts and suspicions concerning the integrity of recent votes in the state parliament. Last week, for instance, the AfD candidate Tobias Rausch received four more votes than the combined seats held by the AfD and the BSW, both of which were behind him. Similarly, in the vote for the deputy, Hans-Thomas Tillschneider-a position not officially supported by the BSW-the AfD received five more votes than its own share of seats.
The suspicion that these extra votes originated from the CDU parliamentary faction has quickly gained traction, particularly given the group’s fractured state since Sven Schulze managed to salvage the chairmanship following a poor showing in the state election. While the secrecy of the votes makes definite proof difficult, it is clear that several members failed to follow Schulze’s recommendation to abstain.
Following an inquiry by the newspaper “taz”, it was confirmed that at least three CDU members had indeed engaged in illicit voting. Of the 14 parliamentarians present in the session, eight claimed they abstained, even though there were only five abstentions recorded in total.
