AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund faces scrutiny over party ties

Ulrich Siegmund, the leading candidate for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, faces scrutiny regarding the political background of his inner circle ahead of the state elections. While Siegmund presents a populist and approachable image to voters, reports indicate that key figures within the party and its parliamentary group have ties to right-wing extremist circles.

Patrick Harr, the managing director and spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group and campaign manager, was previously a member of the Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ), a neo-Nazi organization banned in 2009 for its ideology related to National Socialism. Siegmund has publicly praised Harr as an essential figure for the party's operations.

During a recent AfD youth event in Magdeburg, Siegmund supported radical rhetoric used by party members. Following an inflammatory speech by Martin Reichardt, which targeted the state and public broadcasting, Siegmund praised the remarks as providing 'clear and necessary words.' Siegmund also pledged that his first official act, if elected, would be to terminate the broadcasting state treaty.