Sepp Müller seeks CDU state chairmanship in Saxony-Anhalt after election defeat

After the CDU's poor performance in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, Bundestag member Sepp Mueller has announced his candidacy for the party's state chairmanship. The 37-year-old declared his intention following a state board meeting in Magdeburg. State premier Sven Schulze, who led the party to a disastrous result, has called for a new election of the state board this autumn. The party congress is scheduled for late November or early December, following the CDU's collapse from 37.1 percent in 2021 to 17.2 percent. Schulze acknowledged the CDU no longer has a mandate to govern and is now in opposition, stating the mandate lies with the AfD. The party's parliamentary group has shrunk from 40 to 15 seats.