There is internal disagreement within the CDU parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt regarding a proposal by a former CDU representative, Alexander Räuscher, that Ulrich Siegmund, a politician from the AfD, should be elected Minister-President.
Several CDU members have vehemently opposed this idea. Tobias Krull told T-Online that the party should “definitely not elect Siegmund as Minister-President.” He stressed that if Siegmund wishes to be elected, “he must seek his majority with other parties.” Marco Tullner echoed this stance, stating that the CDU “should absolutely not elect Ulrich Siegmund as Minister-President,” adding that they are in opposition, not an “AfD helper squad.” Furthermore, Chris Schulenburg argued that any genuine democrat would be unable to vote for an AfD Minister-President due to the concerns stemming from the party’s securely right-extremist nature.
This strong opposition comes in contrast to Alexander Räuscher, the former CDU member, who previously advocated for Siegmund’s election in the “Tagesspiegel.” Räuscher claimed that the election results mandate Siegmund’s appointment, stating that the CDU should facilitate his selection. He argued that they should vote for him “not because we are his fans, but because the electorate demands it.” Despite having personal reservations about electing Siegmund in the state parliament, Räuscher declared that he would do it, asserting that “we must go through this now.”
Siegmund plans to run for Minister-President in the state parliament in December. To secure the necessary majority, he requires at least three more votes than currently held by the AfD in the parliament. The AfD, for its part, anticipates receiving votes from the CDU faction.
