After State Election, Schulze Wants Saxony-Anhalt to Give Up Its Turn to Chair Governors' Conference

Saxony-Anhalt is due to take over Germany's rotating Conference of Minister-Presidents chairmanship on October 1, 2026. But after the AfD's victory in the state election, outgoing Premier Sven Schulze has asked the other states to reconsider that handover.

Schulze, a member of the CDU, said he had sent the proposal in a letter to Gordon Schnieder, the current chairman and premier of Rhineland-Palatinate. The scheduled transfer was agreed in a March 12, 2025 decision, under which Saxony-Anhalt would chair the conference for one year.

Schulze said the situation in Saxony-Anhalt was currently difficult. In the letter, he referred to the election result, the resulting distribution of seats in the state parliament, which will convene on October 6, and the uncertainty over the formation of a new government. "Given the outcome of last Sunday's state election, the resulting distribution of seats in the state parliament, which convenes on October 6, and the uncertainty that will then exist about the progress of government formation in Saxony-Anhalt, taking over responsibility for the chairmanship on October 1, 2026 no longer appears appropriate," he wrote.

“

Given the outcome of last Sunday's state election, the resulting distribution of seats in the state parliament, which convenes on October 6, and the uncertainty that will then exist about the progress of government formation in Saxony-Anhalt, taking over responsibility for the chairmanship on October 1, 2026 no longer appears appropriate.

He also said the circumstances did not guarantee the proper technical and substantive preparation and running of the annual conference. Schulze asked Rhineland-Palatinate to coordinate with co-chair Lower Saxony and bring a proposal to the meeting of the states' chief chancellery officials.

Rhineland-Palatinate confirmed that it had received the letter and said the request would be discussed among the states. Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Eder backed Schulze's proposal, saying, "Now it is time to take responsibility." She suggested examining whether Rhineland-Palatinate could keep the chairmanship until the next scheduled transfer. The conference brings together the leaders of Germany's 16 states to coordinate issues involving the federal and state governments and present their positions to the federal government.

“

Now it is time to take responsibility.