Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate Ulrich Siegmund has turned a campaign rally in Rosslau into a theatrical showcase of his party's most extreme proposals. The event, held in a beer garden on the outskirts of the town, featured a comic booklet titled Uli rettet Deutschland that imagines a future where the AfD governs Saxony‑Anhalt with a nationalist agenda that includes removing LGBTI+ symbols from schools, repatriating migrants and celebrating German‑Russian friendship.

Comic book as political propaganda

The booklet, published by the extremist press outlet Compact, depicts schools swapping rainbow flags for the black‑red‑gold tricolour, a plane emblazoned with the word "Remigration" ferrying 432 Afghan prisoners back to the Taliban, and German towns filled with schnitzel shops and storefronts named after historic figures such as "Emperor Otto". In one scene, black‑skin refugees are shown smoking shisha in a derelict house, declaring they are bored with Germany and ready to return to Africa, while white German families move into former asylum accommodation.

Although the images are drawn, they echo real‑world rhetoric that the AfD has been spreading across the country. Siegmund, 35, uses the comic as a visual promise of what his government would look like, and he displayed it at a rally where supporters queued for hours for a selfie and an autograph. The enthusiasm surrounding his persona is unusual in German politics, where most politicians struggle to generate such personal fanfare.

Polls show a possible breakthrough

Recent pre‑election surveys suggest that Siegmund could become the first AfD minister‑president of a German state. Around 42‑43 % of respondents in Saxony‑Anhalt say they would vote for him, a lead of roughly twenty points over the centre‑right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). If the AfD secures an absolute majority, it would be able to form a government without needing coalition partners. Failing that, the party would face a united front of the CDU, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the far‑left Die Linke, all of whom have signalled they would block an AfD administration.

During his speech, Siegmund declared, "The sun rises in the east, but it will shine over the whole of Germany. Because we are one nation, one community, one country." He stood beside a blue Trabant bearing the slogan "East German and proud", invoking the 1989 democratic revolution as a precedent for what he calls a new turning point.

From fragrance start‑up to political front‑man

Siegmund's background is presented by the AfD as a model of ordinary entrepreneurship. Born in Havelberg shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he grew up in a family of an electrical engineer and later studied business administration. While at university he launched a start‑up called Berlin duftet, which marketed ambient fragrances to shops and public transport operators, claiming the scents could reduce aggression and vandalism among passengers.

His entrepreneurial past is used to contrast the party's image as a protest movement with a more "normal" and "friendly" face. At his rallies the atmosphere is deliberately upbeat, with supporters encouraged to view eastern Germany as the new centre of the nation. This rebranding effort aims to broaden the AfD's appeal beyond its traditional anti‑immigration base.

Controversial symbols and media attacks

If the AfD wins, journalists are expected to be among the first targets. The party has a history of denouncing the press as "the enemy of the people", and Siegmund has hinted at a crackdown on media outlets that criticize its policies. Such a move would raise serious concerns for press freedom across the EU, where the European Commission has repeatedly warned against attacks on independent journalism.

Union representatives and civil‑society groups have already warned that the AfD's proposed policies would exacerbate social inequality. Removing LGBTI+ symbols from schools would undermine inclusive education, while the "remigration" narrative could fuel xenophobic violence and push vulnerable migrants back into dangerous situations.

European implications

A victory for the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt would be the first time the far‑right has governed a German state outright, setting a precedent that could embolden similar parties in Austria, Italy and France. It would also test the resilience of EU mechanisms designed to protect fundamental rights, such as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which guarantees non‑discrimination and freedom of expression.

European observers note that the AfD's platform clashes with the EU's climate and energy policies, as the party opposes many of the Green Deal measures that aim to reduce carbon emissions. A regional government that rejects these initiatives could create friction with national authorities tasked with meeting EU climate targets.

What comes next?

The state election is scheduled for 6 September. Should Siegmund secure an absolute majority, the AfD will need to appoint a cabinet and begin drafting legislation that aligns with the radical vision outlined in the comic. If the party falls short, the coalition of centre‑right and left‑wing parties will likely form a "grand coalition" to keep the AfD out of power.

Regardless of the outcome, the campaign has already shifted the political discourse in eastern Germany. By blending populist slogans with a glossy, entrepreneurial image, Siegmund is attempting to normalise ideas that were once confined to the fringes of German politics. The reaction of voters, trade unions and European institutions in the coming weeks will determine whether this strategy reshapes the German political landscape or remains a fleeting phenomenon.