{"id":767856,"date":"2026-09-12T01:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T01:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/767856\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T01:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T01:28:12","slug":"afds-new-state-mps-include-ex-stasi-officer-former-porn-actor-neopagans-and-neo-nazis-alternative-fur-deutschland-afd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/767856\/","title":{"rendered":"AfD\u2019s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-Nazis | Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland (AfD)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs \u2013 including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor \u2013 just days after its historic win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Presented by the AfD\u2019s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, for a photocall in the state capital of Magdeburg on Thursday, some of the members-elect were revealed to have a range of questionable backgrounds, including criminal records, Stasi pasts and connections to far-right networks.<\/p>\n

The AfD\u2019s newly elected members of the Saxony-Anhalt parliament. Photograph: Karina Hessland\/Reuters<\/p>\n

German media has revealed that among the 39 parliamentarians who will represent constituencies across Saxony-Anhalt in the state parliament, is a man alleged to have participated in pornography films and falsified academic qualifications; a former officer for the East German secret police, the Stasi; and several members under criminal investigation for their involvement in neo-Nazi organisations.<\/p>\n

Two MPs are facing investigations into allegations they sought to continue the activities of the banned rightwing extremist organisation Artgemeinschaft, a neopagan group that has embraced nationalist and antisemitic ideas. The younger of the two is also alleged to have violated the law in relation to weapons, according to the public prosecutor\u2019s office. Both reject the allegations.<\/p>\n

The erstwhile pornography actor was convicted for stealing bedding in bulk from a hotel. A court confirmed he had been a pornography actor after he contested a local newspaper\u2019s claims. He was expelled from a university after being found to have falsified his school leaving certificate, Die Zeit reported. The MP says he was readmitted after a legal challenge.<\/p>\n

An ex-Stasi officer, aged 78, who won a direct mandate in his constituency, has admitted to having worked for the ministry for state security in the communist GDR, focused on East German citizens who wanted to permanently emigrate.<\/p>\n

His role as an MP-elect has been criticised by campaign groups on behalf of victims of the former East German dictatorship.<\/p>\n

Also, an investigation by the broadcaster ZDF revealed that some AfD ministers-elect who were also members of the previous parliamentary group, had ties to rightwing extremist groups. This included some having been members of the subsequently outlawed Homeland-Loyal German Youth group, HDJ. At one stage one of them had led the organisation, while an adviser to the AfD\u2019s parliamentary group wrote a biography described as an \u201chomage to national socialism\u201d.<\/p>\n

Among the prospective MPs are a number with pro-Kremlin links, as well as some who visited members of the Maga movement in Washington.<\/p>\n

Russian president Vladimir Putin initially said he would not comment on the AfD victory, but speaking to reporters during a visit to India for the BRICS summit later blamed \u201cwestern globalists\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that everything happening in Europe<\/a> right now is basically \u200cthe result of system errors by the so-called West \u2026 the western globalists in politics, security, and economics,\u201d Putin said.<\/p>\n

The AfD has promised to curb migration and restore ties with Moscow.<\/p>\n

Asked to respond to the questionable biographies, in particular of the two MPs under criminal investigation, Siegmund, a former fragrance salesman who was unanimously re-elected as the AfD\u2019s parliamentary group leader on Thursday, referred to the men in jest as \u201cthe bad guys\u201d and said \u201cwe will await the results of the investigations and then discuss them\u201d.<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up to This is Europe<\/p>\n

The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans \u2013 from identity to economics to the environment<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ulrich Siegmund at the AfD election party after polls closed last Sunday. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch\/Reuters<\/p>\n

Siegmund himself triggered fierce criticism during the presentation of his new parliamentary group after linking the production of arms in Germany<\/a> to the party\u2019s planned deportation offensive.<\/p>\n

In response to a journalist\u2019s question about the planned opening of an Israeli arms company in the state, Siegmund said: \u201cWe do not categorically condemn the production of arms, because we will of course need equivalent resources for the future remigration and deportation offensive. This is also in the interest of internal security, our own instability and national defence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement was seized on by the party\u2019s opponents. Katja P\u00e4hle, the chair of the Social Democrats (SPD) parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, said Siegmund had issued a \u201cpolitical threat\u201d by suggesting the use of \u201cviolence as a political tool\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis reveals the ugly face of a political system whose language and ideas are once again reminiscent of totalitarian models,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Whether the AfD, which secured 44% of the seats, forms a state government, which would make it the first far-right party to gain power in Germany since the second world war, will depend on whether it can find other like-minded MPs who might defect, or a single party willing to support the AfD. So far, the mainstream parties have refused to enter a coalition with the AfD, which has just under half of the 83 seats in the state, three short of an absolute majority.<\/p>\n

Protests against the AfD are planned in more than 20 cities across Germany this weekend in response to the party\u2019s win last Sunday, and ahead of two crucial state elections on 20 September, in Berlin and in Mecklenburg Vorpommen, where the AfD are predicted to do well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":767857,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":["post-767856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/767857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}