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🇦🇹 Austria /Elections & Politics

AfD poised for victory in Saxony-Anhalt: “We thrive behind this firewall”

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • Polls suggest the AfD could win more than 40% in Saxony-Anhalt and potentially secure the first absolute majority for the party in a German state.
  • The article profiles AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, portraying him as a calm, charismatic campaigner who draws long lines of supporters.
  • Political adviser Johannes Hillje calls Siegmund a powerful asset for far-right media and propaganda, while party figures compare his appeal with that of Austria's Jörg Haider.

Ulrich Siegmund stands under a pale blue party tent, his white shirt spotless and his silvering hair combed to one side. For more than two hours, the 35-year-old AfD politician shakes hands, takes selfies and gives interviews at a party family festival in Haldensleben, north of Magdeburg.

We want our good old Germany back at last.

· Ulrich SiegmundThe AfD politician addressing supporters at a family festival.

The queue stretches to the fence. Supporters bring copies of Der Spiegel for Siegmund to sign, turning the magazine's description of him as Germany's “most dangerous man” into a campaign prop. Siegmund asks them to stop for the day because the autographs take too long. He wants to take a selfie with everyone waiting. “I don't want anyone to go home unhappy,” he says. “Children, pregnant women and people with disabilities first. We are here for all of you.”

The scene captures the role Siegmund has assumed in the campaign. Polls put the AfD above 40% ahead of the state election, raising the possibility of a landslide and, with some luck, an absolute majority of seats. That would allow the party to govern a German state for the first time in its history.

I don't want anyone to go home unhappy. Children, pregnant women and people with disabilities first. We are here for all of you.

· Ulrich SiegmundSiegmund explaining how he manages the long line of supporters seeking selfies and autographs.

Political adviser Johannes Hillje calls Siegmund a “gift for far-right media makers and propagandists.” He says the AfD has found the charismatic frontman it has long sought. Siegmund is photogenic, quick-witted and unflappable, combining a sense of renewal with the manner of an ideal son-in-law.

A gift for far-right media makers and propagandists.

· Johannes HilljeThe German political adviser describing Siegmund's value to the AfD's public image.

Martin Reichardt, a 57-year-old AfD lawmaker, compares the party's regional leader with Austria's Jörg Haider. “I am old enough to remember Jörg Haider,” he says. “He was also a figure of hope whom people in Germany looked toward.” At the festival, a DJ plays Andreas Gabalier and an “East! East! East Germany!” song by Eichenherz. The campaign around Siegmund turns even the Spiegel cover into a crowd-pleasing election slogan.

I am old enough to remember Jörg Haider. He was also a figure of hope whom people in Germany looked toward.

· Martin ReichardtThe AfD lawmaker comparing Siegmund's political type with Austria's Jörg Haider.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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