Ex-HDJ activists rise to AfD power roles as Saxony-Anhalt vote nears

A POLITICO investigation shows four former members of the banned neo-Nazi Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ) now hold influential positions around AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund in Saxony-Anhalt, including roles as his spokesman, chief staff potential, and manifesto drafters. The HDJ’s history of promoting a neo-Nazi elite—aligned with Hitler Youth ideals—has prompted scrutiny of the AfD’s ties to its past, even as Siegmund downplays previous involvement and focuses on other issues ahead of the September election.