Following expulsion proceedings against ex-general secretary Jan Wenzel Schmidt, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt faces fresh allegations of nepotism and cronyism, especially involving top candidate Ulrich Siegmund's family networks ahead of the September 2026 state election. Siegmund defends the hires as trustworthy, but the scandals threaten the party's poll lead and democratic norms.
Building on internal strife like the recent expulsion of former general secretary Jan Wenzel Schmidt over mutual corruption accusations, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is embroiled in scandals over allocating positions to relatives and allies, particularly in the Magdeburg faction.
Top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, who in 2016 decried other parties' 'entrenched cronyism,' now faces hypocrisy charges. He justified employing family as 'at least trustworthy' amid reports of the party treating state funds as a piggy bank for kin and companions. Examples include Reinhild Boßdorf, daughter of EU MP Irmhild Boßdorf and a right-wing activist, employed by a faction colleague (per 'taz'); Jean-Pascal Hohm's wife from Brandenburg on EU MP Mary Khan's payroll; and Bundestag MP Matthias Moosdorf's wife as a cultural advisor and pianist in the AfD faction.
Echoing Thuringian leader Björn Höcke's past warnings against parliamentary temptations, the AfD has become what it once criticized. These developments may hinder a sole AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt, where polls show strength, but could drive disillusioned voters toward extremism, risking democracy.
