CDU Rebel Will Stay in the Chamber When AfD’s Siegmund Stands for Premier of Saxony-Anhalt

In Saxony-Anhalt the AfD wants to elect Germany’s first AfD state premier in December. The CDU’s plan is to leave the room. One of its own MPs has just said: not me.

Guido Heuer, who led the CDU group in the Magdeburg state parliament from 2022 until Sven Schulze beat him in a group vote after the state election, told the portal Nius that he will remain in the chamber when AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund stands for minister-president. He refused to say how he would vote, stressing that it is a secret ballot. The CDU group had agreed last week to leave the chamber for the first two rounds; Schulze said at the time that Heuer was the only one who did not agree and wanted legal advice.

“Ich selber bin zu dem Entschluss gekommen, dass ich den Saal nicht verlassen werde.”

“I myself have come to the decision that I will not leave the chamber.”

— Guido Heuer (CDU), member of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, to the portal Nius (quoted by dpa)

Why every vote matters

In the first two rounds a candidate needs an absolute majority, so Siegmund would need votes from outside the AfD. In a possible third round, whoever gets the most votes wins; Schulze has said the CDU would take part in that round if other groups may also field candidates. Heuer argues that walking out of a secret ballot can be read as an abstention. He told Nius the firewall against the AfD has to go, but ruled out a coalition or toleration arrangement with the party.

On X, AfD MEP Maximilian Krah defended Heuer: he was elected to vote freely and only according to his conscience, and the fact that he is now being threatened for it says a lot about the state of democracy. The reports we reviewed do not give details of any threats. MDR has also reported that several CDU MPs are considering leaving the group.