Prohibiting the advancement of AfD is the duty of this individual

Protester aims to bar AfD's march procession

Saxony-Anhalt is gearing up for a political shift as the CDU's incumbent Minister-President, Reiner Haseloff, announced his retirement on August 7, paving the way for Sven Schulze to take the helm.

Schulze, a 46-year-old minister and the CDU's chief in Saxony-Anhalt, has been serving as the State Minister for Economic Affairs since 2021 and has been the state CDU leader since March of the same year. He is poised to run for Minister-President after Haseloff's departure.

Despite being relatively unknown to half of the state's eligible voters, Schulze has been a fixture in regional politics. He has served as the Minister of Economics, Tourism, and Agriculture in the Haseloff cabinet for four years. Before that, he spent seven years as a Member of the European Parliament.

The project of winning the election begins for Schulze. He believes that Dobrindt's border controls and rejections are appropriate and expects planned reforms of the social state to boost the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt.

However, the election in September 2026 is expected to be a tough fight. According to a poll conducted by Infratest-Dimap, the AfD is currently polling at 39% in Saxony-Anhalt, while the CDU is at 27%. The AfD could potentially achieve an absolute majority in the state parliament if only the CDU and the Left make it into the parliament.

Internal discussions within the CDU about the firewall with the AfD are ongoing. CDU MP Ulrich Thomas suggested reconciliation with the social and proposed lifting the cooperation ban with the AfD and the Left. However, this proposal has not yet been fully embraced by the party.

Reiner Haseloff led the CDU to a triumphant 37% in the 2021 state election. He is incredibly popular in Saxony-Anhalt, with 56% of the population liking him. The CDU's continuous rule in Saxony-Anhalt's state chancellery is coming to an end, but the party still enjoys the support of 47% of respondents who think the CDU should lead the state government. Only 37% trust the AfD to do so.

Issues such as teacher and doctor shortages, equal living conditions in city and country, immigration, and the citizen's income are among the concerns. Schulze will have to navigate these challenges as he embarks on his campaign to lead the CDU and the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

On November 1st, Schulze is set to be elected as the top candidate for the CDU, marking the official start of his campaign. The election in September 2026 promises to be a fascinating showdown between Schulze and the AfD's candidate, with the future of Saxony-Anhalt hanging in the balance.