“Germany's most dangerous man” confident of victory in historic election

Ulrich Siegmund wants to scrap public-service media, improve relations with Russia and launch a large-scale deportation campaign. Now, the lead candidate for Alternative for Germany in Saxony-Anhalt is approaching a state election with a realistic chance of taking power.

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The sun rises in the east, but it will shine over all of Germany.

The Sunday vote could make history. For the first time, the AfD could appoint a minister-president, or head of government, in a German state. If enough other parties fail to clear the 5% threshold, the party could even win its own majority, although that outcome is far from certain.

Siegmund has spent recent months travelling through towns and villages on a light-blue Simson moped, an East German model with cult status. At rallies, he smiles, shakes hands and delivers speeches about his vision for Saxony-Anhalt, a state of just over two million people between Berlin, Leipzig and Hanover. The party wants to fundamentally change migration policy, expand Russian-language teaching in schools, establish "good relations" with Moscow, stop wind-power construction and close public-service media.

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everything is possible

Since May, the AfD has remained above 40% in opinion polls in Saxony-Anhalt, well ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats. The CDU has governed the state since 2002. The AfD has also led national polls in recent months. Under the slogan "everything is possible," Siegmund has attracted voters who feel that life has worsened and politicians have done little to address it, especially on immigration. The party calls for a "deportation and repatriation offensive" to increase security.

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deportation and repatriation offensive

Researchers and political opponents have warned of the risks of an AfD victory. Germany's domestic intelligence service classifies the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt as right-wing extremist, while several of Siegmund's close associates have links to a now-banned neo-Nazi organisation. Extremism researcher Matthias Quent told Tagesschau that the regional AfD is "one of Europe's most extreme far-right parties with realistic claims to government power." Siegmund, meanwhile, has said he is "completely indifferent" to what happened 20 or 30 years ago and is looking ahead.

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one of Europe's most extreme far-right parties with realistic claims to government power