Germany's far-right poised for power in state election

Ulrich Siegmund, the far-right Alternative for Germany's candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, speaks at the Generation Germany youth group's federal congress in Magdeburg, Aug. 2026. Jens Schulter/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jens Schulter/AFP via Getty Images HALLE, GERMANY — Everywhere Ulrich Siegmund goes, an influencer follows — streaming live from the campaign trail. Siegmund is the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate running for governor in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. But Siegmund needs neither influencers nor journalists. The 35-year-old former marketing man is a TikTok star in his own right and his party is comfortably leading polls Sunday's state election, which could make the AfD the first far-right party to lead a German state government since World War II. Siegmund has almost half as many followers on the platform as people eligible to vote in this small state. He makes a point of taking time to answer their questions personally, often from the comfort of his back porch. In every video, he's dressed in a flawlessly ironed white polo shirt or starched white dress shirt — the uniform of Germany's newly professionalized far-right. His caref...