DistantNews
Support us
🇩🇪 Germany /Elections & Politics

After state election, Müller says no CDU defectors will help AfD

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Outcome reported
  • CDU lawmaker Sepp Müller said he expects no members of his party to defect to the AfD and help it form a governing majority in Saxony-Anhalt.
  • The AfD won the state election by a wide margin but fell short of an absolute majority, while the CDU suffered heavy losses and finished second.
  • Müller said the CDU must regain credibility and follow its principle of cooperating neither with the right nor the left.

CDU lawmaker Sepp Müller says his party will not help the AfD secure a governing majority in Saxony-Anhalt through defections. He said state party leader Sven Schulze had ensured that the issue could be answered with a clear no.

Speculation about possible CDU defections has circulated for months. Some AfD politicians have claimed they held talks with CDU members about switching parties, but no evidence has emerged to support those claims.

I firmly assume that he can put his hand in the fire that the question you are asking can be answered with no.

· Sepp MüllerMüller said he expected Sven Schulze to prevent CDU defections to the AfD.

The AfD won Saxony-Anhalt’s state election by a large margin but did not secure an absolute majority. It is classified in the state as a confirmed far-right extremist organization. The CDU came second after suffering heavy losses.

We have been voted out.

· Sepp MüllerHe described the CDU’s position after its heavy election losses.

Müller, who wants to become the next CDU state chairman, said the party stood by its basic resolutions. He warned that if defections occurred, the CDU would face a much larger problem than the result of a secret leadership vote. Schulze plans to step down and will not seek reelection as state chairman in the autumn.

“We have been voted out,” Müller said, arguing that the CDU’s poor result reflected a loss of credibility. He said the party must rebuild that credibility, adding: “Credibility begins where adherence to principles starts, and I have one principle: neither with the right nor with the left.”

Credibility begins where adherence to principles starts, and I have one principle: neither with the right nor with the left.

· Sepp MüllerMüller argued that the CDU must restore trust while rejecting cooperation with either political flank.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog