Key facts
- Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old member of the far-right AfD party, is a candidate to lead the state government of Saxony-Anhalt.
- The AfD is polling at 41% in the state ahead of the September 6 election.
- Siegmund attributes his campaign's success to a messaging strategy focused on creating a positive mood, learned during his business psychology studies.
- He has been actively campaigning for months, utilizing social media to reach voters.
- Critics accuse the AfD of promoting nationalist policies and fostering hostility towards immigrants.
- The current state premier, Sven Schulze, has accused Siegmund of planning a 'political purge' if elected.
Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old prominent figure in Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, is positioning himself to potentially lead a state government in Saxony-Anhalt. With the AfD polling at 41% ahead of the September 6 election, Siegmund has a real chance of becoming the state's premier, which would mark the first time the party leads a state government.
Siegmund, who joined the AfD over a decade ago, has adopted a 'sunny' and approachable campaign style, drawing parallels to business psychology principles of creating a positive consumer mood. He has been actively campaigning for months, engaging with voters in towns and village halls and maintaining a strong presence on social media. His style contrasts with the harsher rhetoric of some other AfD figures, such as Bjoern Hoecke.
Despite the AfD's strong polling, the party faces a political 'firewall' as other major parties have pledged not to cooperate with it. Critics, including current Saxony-Anhalt premier Sven Schulze, accuse the AfD of promoting nationalist policies, fostering hostility towards immigrants, and planning radical changes to public administration, with Schulze warning of a potential 'political purge'. Siegmund dismisses these accusations, asserting that the party offers commonsense policies to preserve Germany's identity.
Siegmund views a potential victory in Saxony-Anhalt as a stepping stone towards the AfD achieving national power in the 2029 federal elections.