AfD lawmaker Martin Reichardt faces Nazi salute accusation ahead of Saxony-Anhalt elections

A six‑year‑old photograph of AfD politician Martin Reichardt, released before the Saxony‑Anhalt state elections, shows him raising his left arm in a gesture that resembles a Nazi salute. Reichardt denies the allegation, describing the pose as a "funny horse kick" and insisting the image was misinterpreted.

Two eyewitnesses who were present at the time assert that Reichardt performed a Nazi‑style salute and even addressed a colleague as “Mein Führer.” The AfD has labeled the photo a defamatory campaign aimed at undermining the party’s regional prospects. Opposition leaders, including the CDU Minister‑President of Saxony‑Anhalt, condemned the gesture as unacceptable for any parliamentarian. Political analysts suggest the controversy is unlikely to alter the outcome of the upcoming elections, where the AfD remains a strong contender in eastern Germany.