{
  "id": 12827487,
  "title": "Sachsen-Anhalt: CDU-Abgeordnete drohen offenbar mit Abspaltung",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/sachsen-anhalt-cdu-abgeordnete-drohen-offenbar-mit-abspaltung",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T08:32:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/sachsen-anhalt-cdu-abgeordnete-drohen-offenbar-mit-abspaltung/100260652.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "A possible political split within the CDU faction in the German state of Sachsen-Anhalt is being reported by the Middle German Broadcasting (MDR). According to several faction members, some politicians are considering leaving the CDU and forming their own parliamentary group, with the decision largely depending on the behavior of acting Minister-President Sven Schulze. Some members have even called for his resignation, with Marco Tullner, a former education minister, expressing thoughts about a potential departure. Tullner stated, \"I think at least about whether this is an option,\" lamenting the lack of trust in the faction. He added that he is not alone in his thoughts, as he believes he is not the only one contemplating such matters. A CDU faction member who wished to remain anonymous confirmed similar considerations among individual colleagues. Schulze allegedly lacks authority within the faction, stating that his attempt to take the Fraktionsvorsitz (faction leadership) has deeply divided the group. The MDR reports that the tensions started after a faction meeting following the state election on September 6th, where Schulze unexpectedly became the new faction leader. With seven votes, he defeated incumbent faction leader Guido Heuer. Tullner believes it would have been more sensible to reunite the faction after the Minister-President election, scheduled for December. The CDU faction's unity was also evident at the Landtag (state parliament) president election on Tuesday, where Schulze had announced the faction would abstain, yet AfD candidate Tobias Rausch still won with 48 votes. Rausch became Germany's first AfD Landtagspräsident, garnering support from five abstentions, suggesting less than half of the CDU faction followed Schulze's recommendation. Schulze's position was narrowly confirmed in a confidence vote after the CDU's significant electoral defeat, losing 17.2% of the vote in the state election. CDU Federal Fraktion Vice-Secretary Sepp Müller criticized the faction leader's actions, stating it was a mistake for Schulze to publicly recommend abstention in the Landtagspräsidentenwahl (Landtag president election) when colleagues had already announced opposing votes in the faction meeting.",
  "summary": "In Sachsen-Anhalt mehren sich die Spannungen innerhalb der CDU‑Fraktion. Einem Medienbericht zufolge drohen nun erste Abgeordnete mit Konsequenzen.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}