The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is riding high in the opinion polls in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt and could win an outright majority in regional elections there in September. It would be the first time a far-right party has held power in a German state since the Second World War.
This weekend, the AfD officially adopted what has been described as a radical and pro-ethnic German government programme for Saxony-Anhalt at a party conference in Magdeburg.
The AfD's leading candidate in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, a TikTok star who was given a standing ovation by the delegates, called it a historic moment not just for Saxony-Anhalt but for all of Germany. The whole of Germany is watching this historic election. Parts of Europe and the world are watching this historic election, because from here, finally, the political turnaround can also happen here in Germany, he said.
Siegmund expressed the party's commitment to addressing public concerns about safety and identity, stating, Let's take back our country. The program, which is over 150 pages long, outlines plans that include strict immigration controls and support for large German-origin families while urging improved relations with Russia. This stance contradicts the policies of the federal coalition government, a key supporter of Ukraine.
Key proposals include consistent deportations and constitutional changes targeting what the party describes as illegal, culturally alien, and anti-native mass migration. Seemingly ambitious, several aspects of the proposed policies may require federal government intervention.
Critics, including leaders from opposing parties, have described the AfD's platform as a nightmare scenario for democracy, warning that it promotes an authoritarian state threatening fundamental rights. Despite the classification of the AfD as an extremist organization by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it is steadily increasing its support throughout Germany, having secured 20.8% of the vote in recent federal elections.
By adopting these radical proposals, the party aims to capitalize on sentiments prevalent in Saxony-Anhalt, which has historically been an AfD stronghold, as well as across the nation.
This weekend, the AfD officially adopted what has been described as a radical and pro-ethnic German government programme for Saxony-Anhalt at a party conference in Magdeburg.
The AfD's leading candidate in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, a TikTok star who was given a standing ovation by the delegates, called it a historic moment not just for Saxony-Anhalt but for all of Germany. The whole of Germany is watching this historic election. Parts of Europe and the world are watching this historic election, because from here, finally, the political turnaround can also happen here in Germany, he said.
Siegmund expressed the party's commitment to addressing public concerns about safety and identity, stating, Let's take back our country. The program, which is over 150 pages long, outlines plans that include strict immigration controls and support for large German-origin families while urging improved relations with Russia. This stance contradicts the policies of the federal coalition government, a key supporter of Ukraine.
Key proposals include consistent deportations and constitutional changes targeting what the party describes as illegal, culturally alien, and anti-native mass migration. Seemingly ambitious, several aspects of the proposed policies may require federal government intervention.
Critics, including leaders from opposing parties, have described the AfD's platform as a nightmare scenario for democracy, warning that it promotes an authoritarian state threatening fundamental rights. Despite the classification of the AfD as an extremist organization by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it is steadily increasing its support throughout Germany, having secured 20.8% of the vote in recent federal elections.
By adopting these radical proposals, the party aims to capitalize on sentiments prevalent in Saxony-Anhalt, which has historically been an AfD stronghold, as well as across the nation.
