Saxony-Anhalt: CDU is caught in the AfD trap

With the removal of his Minister of the Interior, the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Haseloff, managed to free himself. But the main problem remains: the CDU has got into a near desperate situation.

A Comment from Kristin Schwietzer, ARD Capital Studio

That was a last minute leak. The palace revolt has been avoided, for now. The removal of Saxony-Anhalt’s interior minister Holger Stahlknecht was inevitable: a CDU minister and president of state who publicly sabotages his own head of government is unacceptable. Stahlknecht is retiring.

Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff has gotten rid of the party’s internal competitors. But its problems persist: a divided party and a fragile coalition. The CDU Saxony-Anhalt continues to reject an increase in premiums. There is no solution in sight. But 86 cents more per month for public broadcasting is no longer a problem here. The Kenyan coalition team is exhausted.

How does the CDU stand with the AfD?

They rose as a bulwark against the AfD. But the CDU, SPD and Greens coalition was shaking from the start, also because parts of the CDU have an unresolved relationship with the AfD. And now the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt has got into an almost desperate situation. She sits in the AfD trap.

You could have foreseen that, including Reiner Haseloff. With today’s decision, the Prime Minister has put all his political weight in the balance and has made it clear to his critics: From now on you will also harm me. But the problem persists, namely the question: What do you think of the AfD?

Political margins benefit from the dispute

Smart advice from Berlin is of little help. The SPD and the Greens are also advised not to put too much pressure on the eastern regional associations. In the end, the political fringes benefit from the coalition dispute. The CDU’s dilemma: Anyone who tries to further weaken Reiner Haseloff will harm the top nominee a few months before the state elections. The Prime Minister took a deep breath today, but he is still a long way from being able to take a deep breath.