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Mayor Anja Heinrich leaves the CDU – politics against the citizens!
Anja Heinrich, mayor of Elsterwerda, is leaving the CDU due to disagreements over the hospital merger in the Elbe-Elster district.
Mayor Anja Heinrich leaves the CDU – politics against the citizens!
An unexpected step is making headlines in Elsterwerda, Brandenburg: Anja Heinrich, the incumbent mayor and former general secretary of the CDU Brandenburg, has announced that she is leaving the party. This move, effective January 1, 2026, follows a significant re-election that Heinrich celebrated last weekend for another term in office. This reports rbb24.
The reason for Heinrich's departure are serious differences of opinion about the planned merger of the hospitals in Elbe-Elster. While the CDU supports the closure of the local hospital in Elsterwerda to make room for a new building, Heinrich sees this as “politics against the citizens”. Her dissatisfaction is not only directed against local politics, but also against the course of the federal party, which prompted her to write a letter to the Elbe-Elster district association that formally sealed her departure Northern Courier reported.
Hospital merger conflict
The discussion about the hospital merger not only causes disagreements within the CDU, but also a public response. Heinrich sharply criticizes the fact that over 1,000 signatures were submitted against the merger without the party having reconsidered its strategy. She emphasizes that she “no longer needs a party,” thereby representing a clear break from her previous political home.
This trend is also evident among other local politicians: Heinrich is not the only prominent figure to turn his back on the CDU. Mayor Jörg Gampe of Finsterwalde has also ended his membership in the party. This means that after Heinrich's departure there will no longer be a CDU mayor in office in the Elbe-Elster district.
The history and outlook
Anja Heinrich's political career has been closely linked to Elsterwerda since 2017. Before her time as mayor, she was a member of the state parliament from 2009 to 2018 and general secretary of the Brandenburg CDU from November 2012 to February 2015. With the party friendship now announced, the question of Heinrich's future political direction is open. Her re-election as mayor could bring both opportunities and challenges, especially in view of the upcoming local elections on June 9, 2024 in Brandenburg, which will also be exciting for other incumbents Political education in Brandenburg determines.
In Brandenburg, mayors are elected directly by the citizens. These elections are crucial because, although voter turnout is often low, the elected mayors have great responsibility for municipal operations. The possible changes in the political landscape could have an impact on the coming elections and encourage citizens to become more involved in the political processes.