Power struggle in the CDU Saxony-Anhalt: Sepp Müller defends himself against allegations

“We shouldn’t work at this level here”: This is what Sepp Müller, CDU parliamentary group vice-president in the Bundestag and rival of the current Prime Minister Sven Schulze in Saxony-Anhalt, writes to his supporters. The internal message is available to SPIEGEL. Müller is reacting to a report in the “Bild” newspaper in which a “mud battle” within the Saxony-Anhalt CDU is discussed, which has “completely escalated”. Accordingly, Schulze accused his opponent of improper billing practices at the expense of taxpayers at the CDU federal executive board meeting.

SPIEGEL also found out about it. As "Bild" further reports, Müller is said to have asked to be invited to the CDU election party after the state elections on September 6th in Magdeburg in his role as Union faction vice-president - in order to be able to reimburse the costs incurred through the Bundestag faction. The state management of the CDU Saxony-Anhalt followed the request. "Bild" also learned that Müller's Bundestag office had actually submitted a request for travel expenses, but that Müller personally had it revoked. It was an “internal office ‘misunderstanding’.”

It is said that people in Müller's camp are beside themselves with anger. “Apparently an attempt is being made to discredit me with allegedly incorrect travel expense reports,” said Müller in the internal letter. »Personal defamation and targeted indiscretions are not political competition. They are indecent." That's why he makes the following transparent: "Payment of travel expenses for appointments in Saxony-Anhalt worth around 500.00 euros can be verified by everyone."

The lists are also available to SPIEGEL. Accordingly, there was “no refund” for the “arrival and departure train” to Magdeburg on September 6th. According to the documents, the costs of three appointments in Saxony-Anhalt in the past twelve months were reimbursed, totaling just over 500 euros. “Anyone who wants to use such methods to prevent a new beginning shows how urgently it is needed,” Müller continued in the internal statement.

The CDU Saxony-Anhalt is dismantling. A power struggle between Prime Minister Sven Schulze and MP Sepp Müller is dividing the party. Will one of the two camps help the AfD gain power? Read more here.