Ulrich Siegmund outlines AfD plans for Saxony-Anhalt

Ulrich Siegmund, the leading candidate for the AfD in the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state election, has outlined several radical policy proposals. If the party achieves an absolute majority, Siegmund intends to review the future of the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), suggesting it could be abolished or its duties significantly reduced. He has accused the agency of acting as a political instrument to monitor the opposition.

Siegmund's platform also includes cutting state funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), reviewing the tax-exempt status of politically active associations, and implementing a mandatory work requirement for asylum seekers. Additionally, he expressed intent to terminate the state broadcasting treaty (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag).

The campaign has been marked by controversy, including a Der Spiegel cover labeling Siegmund ‘the most dangerous man in Germany.’ While Siegmund has embraced the coverage as ‘very good advertising,’ political opponents, including members of Die Linke, have criticized the magazine for providing campaign assistance to the AfD. Meanwhile, local tensions have risen in Egeln, where a mayor threatened consequences for firefighters who posed for a photo with Siegmund.