AfD lawmakers in Saxony-Anhalt face scrutiny over Stasi, porn and extremist ties

In the recent Saxony-Anhalt state election, the right-wing AfD captured 39 of the 83 parliamentary seats, leaving it three seats short of a full majority and on the cusp of historic regional power. Shortly after the party’s representatives were photographed in Magdeburg, media reports highlighted controversial backgrounds among several lawmakers. One veteran, aged 78, confessed to a twelve-year career with the former East German secret police, the Stasi, where he monitored citizens attempting to flee the country.

Another elected figure is said to have worked as a porn actor and previously served a prison sentence for stealing large quantities of hotel bedding. Two further AfD members are being investigated for alleged continuation of activities linked to the banned neo-Nazi organization Artgemeinschaft, and one of them also faces a possible breach of weapons regulations. Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s state leader, responded with a joking remark that the accused were “the naughty boys” and pledged to wait for the legal findings before commenting further.