To many voters alarmed by mass migration, this man is a charismatic messiah. He’s also a pro-Russian on the verge of becoming the first far-Right nationalist to run a state government since the Nazis… So is this the most dangerous man in Germany?

Ulrich Siegmund, 35-year-old leader of the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt, is on course to become the first far-Right nationalist to head a German state government since the Nazi era, with the state election due on 6 September 2026. Polling puts the AfD on 42-43 per cent, potentially enough for an outright majority that would bypass the "firewall" tactic other parties have used elsewhere to keep the AfD from power, including in neighbouring Thuringia. The prospect has alarmed the federal government, which fears a pro-Russian AfD administration could disrupt Nato troop and weapons movements through the strategically located state, or misuse access to intelligence.

Siegmund draws large, enthusiastic crowds who see him and the AfD as defenders of German identity amid concerns over mass migration, but critics, including Der Spiegel magazine, which dubbed him "Germany's most dangerous man", allege links to an extremist network. Some residents and migrants are reportedly considering leaving the state, while Friedrich Kramer, the regional Protestant bishop, has urged voters to reject the party, saying its programme cannot be reconciled with Christianity. Siegmund himself has said Saxony-Anhalt is just "the first step" towards broader AfD power, predicting the party could be governing in Berlin by 2029.