AfD aims to use Saxony-Anhalt win as launchpad for national influence

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is focusing its campaign on the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where it could become the first post-World War II governing party at the state level. Polls suggest the party is within reach of an absolute majority in the September 6 election, a result that would give it a foothold to test a broader national strategy.

AfD leader Ulrich Siegmund, who is expected to become state premier if the party wins, told supporters that the election could be remembered as the moment the party’s national rise began. The party’s internal documents outline a “governance program” that mixes radical proposals—such as revising school history curricula and reducing funding for art deemed “anti-German”—with more conventional measures like increased funding for fire services.

“We have to legitimize AfD policies through a practical example. That is our task,” said Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who drafted the state program, at a regional conference in Magdeburg.

To implement its agenda, the AfD plans to place up to 200 party loyalists in state civil-service positions, a move it describes as a “restructuring process.” The party has set up a “Black-Red-Gold Academy” to train candidates for roles in the interior and finance ministries, drawing on experience from Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ).

“If there are people whom we know we cannot work with … they remain career civil servants, but by allocating resources appropriately, you can ensure they … can no longer cause any harm,” said AfD lawmaker Andreas Lichert.

The CDU, which currently leads the state government, warns that the AfD’s plans would threaten the independence of civil servants and increase taxpayer costs. Premier Sven Schulze described the restructuring as a “dangerous sham” and suggested AfD leader Alice Weidel is using the state as a “puppet” for national ambitions.

Nationally, mainstream parties are considering measures to limit an AfD interior minister’s participation in federal security meetings and to withhold portions of fiscal equalisation funds if rule-of-law concerns arise. The AfD says it will defend against such actions through legal channels.

“We will defend ourselves against this through appropriate legal means,” said Martin Reichardt, head of the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt branch.

AfD officials also stress that they seek to avoid the polarising tactics seen in the United States under President Donald Trump, emphasizing a “tension” between swift action on immigration and maintaining stable governance.

“A society must function somehow. If everyone’s always on edge, that’s obviously not healthy for anyone,” said Gordon Köhler, referencing the party’s approach to asylum-seeker policy.

The upcoming election will test whether the AfD can translate its campaign rhetoric into a governing record that could reshape coalition dynamics at the federal level.