JEßNITZ, Germany: Mobbed by fans for selfies and autographs, the man who hopes to become the far-right Alternative for Germany’s first state premier cuts more of a rock star figure on the campaign trail.
Ulrich Siegmund, 35, regularly climbs onto a vintage East German motor scooter for rallies with voters in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where his AfD party holds a commanding lead in the polls ahead of a September 6 election.
Despite sweltering heat, scores of Siegmund fans joined him on a recent Sunday for a countryside ride on Simson-brand scooters — simple yet durable two-stroke engine bikes that have become a symbol of East German identity.
“The Simson is a symbol of freedom, and freedom is also what we, the Alternative for Germany, stand for,” the blue-eyed AfD candidate told the audience as he spoke on a village meadow.
Riding his scooter — painted in the party’s sky blue color — he led a convoy of several hundred motorcyclists, some wearing World War II-era helmets and waving German flags.
