{
  "id": 3688267,
  "title": "The former neo-Nazi activists behind Germany’s rising far-right star",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/the-former-neo-nazi-activists-behind-germanys-rising-far-right-star",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T06:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Politico EU",
    "slug": "politico-eu",
    "url": "https://www.politico.eu/article/former-neo-nazi-activists-germany-far-right-ulrich-siegmund/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four former members of a banned neo-Nazi youth organization modeled on the Hitler Youth are close confidants of Ulrich Siegmund, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party candidate for premier in Saxony-Anhalt. The group, known as the Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ), was outlawed by the German government in 2009 for its alleged focus on training a neo-Nazi elite. Despite their past association with the HDJ, all four men have resisted being seen as disqualifications for their roles in Siegmund's inner circle.",
  "summary": "Four former members of a banned organization modeled on the Hitler Youth are part of the inner circle of the man who could become the AfD’s first state premier.",
  "key_points": [
    "Four former neo-Nazi activists support AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund",
    "Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ) banned in 2009 for neo-Nazi training",
    "Members resist association disqualifying them from Siegmund's inner circle"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}