As the election for the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt approaches, the SPD is intensifying pressure on its coalition partner, the CDU. Federal SPD Member of Parliament Rasha Nasr told Spiegel that it is a “political sign of poverty” for a democratic faction to be contemplating leaving the plenary hall because they are unsure how their own representatives will vote. Nasr insisted that if the leadership’s statements are insufficient, the federal CDU must take action.
The SPD politician further stated that she expects Friedrich Merz to personally travel to Saxony-Anhalt before the Minister-President election, meet with the entire state parliamentary faction, and unequivocally clarify what is at stake. Nasr warned that if CDU members were to elect an AfD Minister-President, “that would be a political turning point far beyond Saxony-Anhalt.” She added that such an event would naturally severely damage trust in their coalition partner at the federal level.
Dirk Wiese, the SPD parliamentary bureau chief, also issued a clear warning to the CDU. Speaking to Spiegel, he stated that there “must be no collaboration with the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, and no assistance whatsoever for them.” Wiese stressed that what occurred during the election of the state parliament president must not be repeated during the Minister-President election. He advised the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt to “represent a compellingly clear line, eliminate any doubts about its stance, and should not refuse discussions about a counter-candidate.”
