Incident at celebration: Magdeburg CDU politician Kurze resigns after harassment allegation

Markus Kurze , the CDU parliamentary secretary in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, has resigned from his position due to alleged sexual harassment. "On the evening of the summer festival in the state parliament, I clearly misjudged the situation," Kurze stated in a statement from his parliamentary group. He admitted to having hurt the feelings of a woman involved and announced that he would personally apologize to her.

The incident allegedly occurred on Thursday evening during the event in the state parliament, to which members of parliament, staff, and guests are traditionally invited. According to media reports, Kurze allegedly harassed a staff member from another parliamentary group by putting her fingers in his mouth. The CDU politician was heavily intoxicated. The woman perceived this as a serious violation of her boundaries, those present told the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung."

Kurze justified his resignation by arguing that close cooperation with the other parliamentary groups—a key prerequisite of his role—was no longer guaranteed. "I see this basis currently compromised," he explained.