DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Who is Ulrich Siegmund, Germany's new far-right leader? Anti-immigration, opposed to compulsory schooling, and close to Putin and Trump

From Clarín · () Spanish

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

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • AfD regional leader Ulrich Siegmund, 35, emerged as the central figure after the party won about 44.2% in Saxony-Anhalt projections.
  • Siegmund backs positions including ending compulsory schooling, separating classes for disabled children and immigrants, cutting public broadcasting and church funding, and opposing immigration.
  • He has links to the party's radical wing, attended the Potsdam meeting associated with its remigration plan, and has been described by Der Spiegel as "Germany's most dangerous man."

At 35, Ulrich Siegmund has become the face of Germany's far right after the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won a decisive victory in regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Projections put the party at about 44.2%, a result the article presents as a turning point for German politics with possible repercussions in Berlin.

Siegmund, the AfD's regional leader, is described as a rapid communicator with a friendly manner and radical ideas. Der Spiegel dubbed him "Germany's most dangerous man," a cover he reportedly enjoyed having autographed for supporters. During the campaign, he appeared on a light-blue East German minibike and cultivated the freshness of a political newcomer while seeking an outright majority for his party.

His program includes ending compulsory schooling, creating separate classes for children with disabilities and immigrants, reducing public broadcasting funding, and cutting money for churches. He is supported by Hans Thomas Tillschneider, who wrote the proposal to abolish compulsory schooling. The AfD is described as anti-immigration and sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Germany's most dangerous man

· Der SpiegelThe magazine's description of Ulrich Siegmund.

Siegmund is married to Julia and has two children. He studied business administration and economic psychology at an online university and wrote a thesis on perfume marketing. He joined the Christian Democratic Union, the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at a very young age before moving to the AfD.

The article also identifies him as a participant in the secret Potsdam meeting where the party's most radical figures developed a plan for the remigration of hundreds of thousands of people living in Germany. He belongs to the leadership of the regional party branch, which domestic intelligence considers openly extremist. Journalist Jana Hansel described his appeal to ANSA as that of "a right-wing Robin Hood" who promises people he will give their state back.

a right-wing Robin Hood. He promises people that he will give their state back

· Jana HanselThe Leipzig-born journalist explained Siegmund's appeal to supporters in comments to ANSA.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. 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.

More Stories

From Our Blog