AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt MPs: Ex-Stasi Officer and Porn Actor Reflect Far-Right Hypocrisy and Extremism
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Germany’s far-right AfD faces mounting outrage as its new state legislators include a former Stasi officer and an ex-porn actor, exposing the party’s deep ties to extremism and authoritarianism amid ongoing investigations.
The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has once again revealed its true colors after presenting its 39 newly elected members of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. Among them are a 78-year-old former officer of the notorious East German Stasi, infamous for repressing citizens, and a former pornography actor with a criminal record and accusations of academic fraud.
Two of these MPs are currently under investigation for allegedly attempting to revive the banned neo-Nazi group Artgemeinschaft, a dangerous organization rooted in nationalist and antisemitic ideology. The younger MP is also suspected of weapons violations, though both deny the charges—a familiar refrain among the far right.
Survivors and advocacy groups representing victims of the East German dictatorship have condemned the election of the former Stasi officer, highlighting his own admission of targeting citizens who sought freedom from the regime.
Investigative reporting by ZDF has uncovered even more disturbing links: additional AfD members-elect have ties to right-wing extremist groups, such as the outlawed Homeland-Loyal German Youth (HDJ). One reportedly led the HDJ, and an adviser to the AfD parliamentary group authored a biography glorifying national socialism.
When questioned about these extremists within his ranks, AfD parliamentary group leader Ulrich Siegmund, whose background is in fragrance sales, cynically dismissed concerns, calling the MPs “the bad guys” and insisting the party would wait for legal outcomes before acting.
“We do not categorically condemn the production of arms, because we will of course need equivalent resources for the future remigration and deportation offensive,” Siegmund told a journalist, a chilling statement that drew sharp rebuke from opposition parties.
Social Democratic leader Katja Pähle rightfully called Siegmund’s rhetoric a political threat, comparing it to totalitarian regimes.
Despite securing 44% of the vote, the AfD fell short of an absolute majority in the 83-seat parliament, and mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with them. In response to the AfD’s dangerous rise, protests are planned in over 20 German cities ahead of crucial state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as citizens mobilize to resist the normalization of far-right extremism.