What AfD's election victory in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt could mean for Jewish life - analysis
Siegmund faced criticism over his attitude toward Germany’s Nazi past. In a 2025 interview, he refused to answer whether he considered the Holocaust the most horrific crime in history.
In the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has recently achieved a significant electoral triumph, amassing 43.8 percent of the vote. This result, which trailed the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) by a mere three seats, signifies a potential shift in Holocaust education and remembrance policies.
The AfD now holds the balance of power due to its significant presence within the state parliament, with 39 out of 83 seats secured. However, securing an absolute majority necessitates an additional three seats.
Leader Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old AfD representative, has emphasized the mandate conferred by the election outcome. Though legally, such a mandate does not exist, as the minister-president will be the individual capable of garnering the requisite majority in the state parliament. Siegmund's campaign has been characterized by a youthful and approachable image, employing tactics such as mass rides on Simson mopeds, a symbol tied to East German pride.
The AfD's electoral victory has raised concerns about the potential impact on Jewish life in Germany. One such concern pertains to the party's stance on "remigration," a concept broached by AfD representative Ulrich Siegmund during a meeting with right-wing extremists. This theory proposes the expulsion of German citizens of immigrant origin who are deemed insufficiently assimilated.
Despite Siegmund's subsequent removal as the chairman of the state parliament's committee on social affairs, his political career has continued unabated.
The AfD's platform also suggests a significant shift in Holocaust education. The party intends to strengthen the state government's influence over standardized teaching materials and abolish the State Center for Political Education in its current form. Instead, the AfD proposes establishing a new institute dedicated to "civic and political education and cultural identity."
This proposed change could alter the way Holocaust education is imparted, potentially impacting the understanding and remembrance of this dark chapter in human history.
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