The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is riding high in the opinion polls in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt and could win an outright majority in regional elections there in September.
It would be the first time a far-right party has held power in a German state since World War Two.
This weekend the AfD officially adopted what has been described as a “radical” and pro-ethnic German government programme for Saxony-Anhalt at a party conference in the central city of Magdeburg.
The AfD’s leading candidate in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, a TikTok star who was given a standing ovation by the delegates, said it was an historic moment, not just for Saxony-Anhalt.
“The whole of Germany is watching this historic election,” he told the conference.
“Parts of Europe are watching this historic election. Parts of the world are watching this historic election, because from here, finally, the political turnaround can also happen here in Germany.”
He said his party had the courage to speak out about what was going wrong in Germany, “that we don’t feel safe anymore, that we scarcely feel at home anymore, that we don’t recognise our homeland anymore”.
“Let’s take back our country,” he added.
The programme, which is more than 150 pages long, contains wide-ranging plans to overhaul Saxony-Anhalt, clamping down on immigrants and supporting large families of German origin.
It also wants to improve relations with Russia, directly contradicting the policies of the federal coalition government, which is a key supporter of Ukraine.
Credit: bbc.com
