Ulrich Siegmund, a charismatic 35-year-old who gave the far-right Alternative for Germany a friendly face and combined promises of a better future with a touch of nostalgia, has led the party to its strongest showing yet.
The party surged to a resounding victory in Sunday’s regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, but fell just short of a majority as it seeks to form the first far-right state government since World War II.
Siegmund’s face was everywhere in posters for Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in a campaign whose motto was “everything is possible.” At campaign events, supporters — some of them wearing T-shirts bearing his image — queued at length for a selfie and a few words with the candidate.
Although his party is known for its pro-Russian and anti-immigration positions and other radical stances, Siegmund has avoided making extreme statements and presents himself as a man of the people. But while that appeals to voters who might otherwise be put off by AfD, he is also uncompromising, insisting after the election that the party won’t “throw our positions overboard for coalitions.”
Siegmund studied business management and used to sell air fresheners. But he is no political novice: after a brief period as a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union of current Chancellor Friedrich Merz when he was younger, he joined AfD.
