CDU: Der als Königsmörder Geächtete will nun selbst König werden

CDU leader Friedrich Merz revealed on Monday that Sven Schulze, a prominent figure within the CDU, had targeted his deputy candidate Sven Schulze's rival, Sepp Müller, during the campaign. Müller, a 37-year-old member of the CDU, had publicly declared that if the Alternative for Germany (AfD) were to win the election, they would hold the parliamentary mandate instead of the incumbent government. He refused to cooperate with the left-wing opposition to hinder the AfD.

Müller, feeling aggrieved after Schulze took away what little chance he had to remain as Minister President, proposed a new position of Fraktionsvize for Wirtschaft und Energie, Mittelstand, Tourismus – and primarily for Ostdeutschland. Schulze, who had been the CDU's leader in Saxony-Anhalt since 2021, lost the Fraktionsvize for Gesundheit and offered Müller a position as Pflegebeauftragter instead.

Müller rejected the offer, stating that he did not need a chauffeur, as he cycled and used the S-Bahn. He also declined a seat on the powerful Haushaltsausschuss (Budget Committee).

The Non-Aggression Pact, a deal between Müller and Schulze to support each other in rising through the ranks, was broken. Schulze, who had been the Fraktion's leader for Gesundheit, then became the candidate for Fraktionsvize for Wirtschaft und Energie, Mittelstand, Tourismus – and Ostdeutschland. Müller, expecting Schulze to lose, instead won the Fraktionsvize and gained a significant following among West German and Mittelstand-friendly CDU members.

Schulze's behavior has led to a rift within the CDU, with some members questioning the party's future. The party now has only around 5,000 members, many of whom are elderly. Schulze emphasized that no cooperation with the extreme left or right would be tolerated and promised that no members of the party would defect to the AfD. However, the party still faces significant structural problems, including a lack of young members and women.