Sven Schulze (CDU), the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, said he will not appoint any ministers from the AfD or the Left Party.

The stance creates a firm boundary for potential coalition talks as the AfD currently leads in opinion polls. By ruling out these parties, Schulze is limiting the mathematical possibilities for a governing majority in the state parliament.

Schulze detailed his position during a televised interview on ZDF’s Markus Lanz show in June 2026. He said that his administration would not cooperate with the far-right party to maintain government stability. "I say very clearly: with me, there will be no minister from the AfD," Schulze said [1].

While some reports focused primarily on the AfD, other accounts indicate the exclusion extends to the Left Party as well. Schulze said that there would be no ministers from either the AfD or the Left Party [2]. This broad exclusion signals a commitment to center-right and center-left alignments, effectively narrowing the field of viable partners for the CDU.

The decision comes as the state prepares for the landtag election scheduled for September 2026 [3]. Schulze said the goal is to prevent a coalition with parties he deems incompatible with his leadership. "We do not want cooperation with the AfD," Schulze said [4].

The political climate in Saxony-Anhalt remains tense as the election approaches. The CDU must now navigate a path to power that avoids the two parties Schulze has sidelined, even if those parties secure significant portions of the vote in September.

“"I say very clearly: with me, there will be no minister from the AfD."”

The refusal to collaborate with the AfD and the Left Party reflects a broader trend among Germany's established parties to isolate the far-right. However, if the AfD maintains its lead in the September 2026 elections, Schulze's refusal to negotiate could lead to a fragmented parliament or a difficult minority government, as the pool of eligible coalition partners shrinks.