Germany's far-right AfD party is poised for power in a state election

Voters in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt go to the polls this weekend in an election that could give the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) its first state government since World War II. NPR reports that the party's candidate for governor, 35-year-old Ulrich Siegmund, a former marketing professional, has built a large following on TikTok and leads comfortably in the polls.

The polished, upbeat image Siegmund projects on camera sits alongside a hard-line platform: the party calls for mass deportation of migrants and argues that health workers trained abroad fail German standards and endanger patients. NPR's reporting shows voters divided — some describe Siegmund as a breath of fresh air, while a former AfD supporter who now fact-checks the party's rallies says its economic promises mainly help the well-off.

A win in Saxony-Anhalt would be a major breakthrough for a party that domestic intelligence agencies in several German states classify as right-wing extremist and that now also polls first at the national level.