Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kate Connolly in Berlin

AfD’s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-Nazis

Camera screen shows Ulrich Siegmund speaking at microphones during a press conference
The AfD’s parliamentary group leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, referred to the MPs under criminal investigation as ‘the bad guys’. Photograph: Karina Hessland/Reuters

The Alternative für Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs – including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor – just days after its historic win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Presented by the AfD’s 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.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.