AfD's New Saxony-Anhalt MPs Include Former Stasi Officer and Ex-Porn Actor Amid Scrutiny
Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland faces criticism over the backgrounds of several newly elected state legislators, including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor, as investigations into alleged extremist ties continue.
The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has drawn renewed attention after the party presented its 39 newly elected members of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament. Among the cohort are a 78-year-old former officer of the former East German secret police and a former pornography actor who previously faced criminal convictions and allegations of falsifying academic credentials.
Two of the MPs are under investigation for alleged attempts to revive the banned extremist group Artgemeinschaft, a neopagan organization linked to nationalist and antisemitic ideas. The younger of the two is also suspected of weapons-related violations, which both individuals deny.
Campaign groups representing victims of the former East German dictatorship have criticized the former Stasi officer’s election, noting his admission that he worked for the Ministry for State Security targeting citizens seeking to emigrate.
An inquiry by broadcaster ZDF identified additional AfD members-elect with past affiliations to right-wing extremist groups, including the outlawed Homeland-Loyal German Youth (HDJ). One former member reportedly led the organization, and an adviser to the parliamentary group authored a biography described as an homage to national socialism.
When asked about the MPs under investigation, AfD parliamentary group leader Ulrich Siegmund, a former fragrance salesman, referred to them as “the bad guys” and said the party would await the outcomes of the legal probes before taking further action.
"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, prompting criticism from opposition parties.
Social Democratic leader Katja Pähle described Siegmund’s remarks as a political threat and likened the party’s rhetoric to totalitarian models.
The AfD secured 44% of the vote in the state election, falling three seats short of an absolute majority in the 83-seat parliament. Forming a government will require support from other parties or defectors, which mainstream parties have so far ruled out. Protests against the AfD are planned in more than 20 German cities ahead of upcoming state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.