MAGDEBURG — With just days before Saxony-Anhalt's state election, the AfD is pulling out all the stops. At a so-called family festival near the city centre, thousands of supporters queued for photos with their lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old who could become the party's first state premier.
The event had the feel of a victory rally. Chants of "We are the people" and "We are the Wende" mixed with techno beats, while party heavyweights like Thuringia's Stephan Brandner and co-chair Tino Chrupalla warmed up the crowd. Boos and whistles greeted any mention of the CDU, SPD, or other mainstream parties.
A promised shake-up
Siegmund, who has been classified by the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution as part of a confirmed far-right extremist organisation, told the crowd he wants to "finally make policy for our own country again." His priorities include reorganising migration and redirecting funds he says are currently spent abroad or on people "who are here illegally, who commit crimes here."
Within his first 100 days, he plans to introduce a "work obligation for asylum seekers," along with measures like fire service driving licences and flag displays in schools. "Of course this is not turning the really big wheel," he admitted, "but these are the first concrete steps where you can see the first progress in all areas of this society."
Supporters like Gerda, a pensioner from Berlin who declined to give her real name, see Siegmund as a beacon of hope. "I support the AfD and I love Ulrich," she said. "Once you've done all sorts of things, rape and stabbings, then you can't live here, then you have to go and he makes sure of that." Many at the event shared her reluctance to be identified, citing fear of consequences.
Polls and coalition maths
According to the latest Forschungsgruppe Wahlen poll for ZDF, the AfD stands at 41 percent, far ahead of the CDU's 23 percent. The Left party trails at 11.5 percent, with the SPD and Greens at 8.5 and 6 percent respectively. In 2021, the CDU won with 37.1 percent, while the AfD took 20.8 percent.
Even with a strong lead, the AfD may fall short of an outright majority. The party rejects any coalition with the CDU, and the CDU has adopted an incompatibility resolution barring cooperation. Dennis Radtke, head of the CDU's workers' wing (CDA), warned on ZDF's "Maybrit Illner" that "the moment we start working with this party, bringing it into positions of responsibility, the CDU is finished."
The only party open to tolerating an AfD-led government is the BSW, but it currently polls at just 4 percent, below the 5 percent threshold. The SPD and Greens have recently climbed above the threshold but remain weak.
As the rain poured down in Magdeburg, the mood among Siegmund's fans remained defiant. For them, Sunday's vote is a chance to break a long-standing taboo in German politics. The outcome could reshape not only Saxony-Anhalt but also the national debate ahead of next year's federal elections.
