Saxony-Anhalt CDU pledges pharma hub and more police, rules out AfD coalition

Campaign promises: economy, security, education

Delegates at a CDU party conference in Dessau-Roßlau unanimously approved the election programme for the 6 September state vote. Ministerpräsident Sven Schulze said he wants to make Saxony-Anhalt one of Europe's top pharmaceutical locations, and will convene a pharma summit at the State Chancellery next week. Schulze called the economy "Chefsache" (a matter for the boss) and pointed to crisis talks with automotive suppliers as part of his job to preserve what has been built up over decades.

The platform also includes practice learning days to link schools with businesses, more economics teaching in Gymnasien, and stricter migration rules. An administrative reform aims to make the state leaner.

We must become slimmer, more effective, faster.

The state police force is to be expanded to more than 8,000 personnel.

Photo fuels coalition debate

A photo taken at a podium discussion in Halberstadt earlier this week caused a stir on social media and overshadowed the convention. It shows CDU parliamentary group leader Guido Heuer leaning on the shoulder of AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, with both politicians' hands on the same microphone. The picture was first reported by the Ostdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung and later shared on X by Berlin journalist Robin Alexander.

Heuer dismissed any suggestion of closeness.

That was confrontation, not fraternisation.

He explained that there were only two microphones for several panellists and that he reached into Siegmund's microphone because Siegmund had said "the untruth."

Schulze draws a red line

Ministerpräsident Schulze cautioned against reading too much into the image.

One shouldn't overrate the photo.

He reiterated his longstanding refusal to cooperate with the AfD or the Left party.

In my government there will be no minister from the Left Party and no minister from the AfD.

Siegmund, who is aiming for a sole AfD government, posted on X:

We cannot save our country with those who brought it into this situation.

Polls currently place the AfD well ahead of the CDU. Schulze admitted the numbers are not where his party would like them to be, but insisted that voters still want him as Ministerpräsident. "And we are fighting for that."

Road to the ballot box

Schulze said he would not engage in a contest of running others down. He expressed confidence that by 6 September voters would have a clear picture of who is merely putting on a show.