AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt links arms manufacturing to deportation operations

Weapons remarks in Magdeburg

Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD floor leader in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, linked domestic arms manufacturing to his party's planned deportation operations on Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Magdeburg after the constituent meeting of the AfD parliamentary group, Siegmund was asked about a proposed defence manufacturing project in the town of Sangerhausen. He stated that the party does not oppose military production when equipment serves domestic enforcement and internal security purposes.

“We do not condemn the production of military equipment across the board, because we will naturally need the appropriate resources for future repatriation and deportation campaigns.”

Siegmund expanded on his remarks on Friday in comments to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, stating that military production covers a broad range of materiel, including vehicles, protective gear, and operational equipment for police and security agencies to carry out deportations.

Proposed site in Sangerhausen

The controversy centres on a proposed industrial facility in Sangerhausen, a town of 25,000 residents in south-western Saxony-Anhalt. Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems, through its German subsidiary, has discussed constructing a factory in the municipality to manufacture components for German industrial partners. Local municipal authorities indicated that the plant would create up to 400 jobs and would not manufacture complete weapon systems, artillery shells, or drones. The proposal faces local opposition, including an active citizens' petition. Elbit Systems Deutschland stated on Friday that while it continually assesses expansion options across Germany, it has selected no specific location for new construction.

Reactions across parties

Siegmund's statement drew criticism from rival parties in the state parliament and at the federal level. Katja Pähle, the leader of the SPD parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, described the remarks as a political threat that introduces military gear into deportation policy.

“Whoever brings defence goods into play in the announced mass expulsion of people from Saxony-Anhalt is talking about violence as a political instrument.”

Fabio De Masi, federal co-chair of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), also criticized the AfD remarks. De Masi stated that the AfD was backing heavy armament while attempting to justify the Elbit facility through deportation rhetoric, arguing that the party was seeking provocation rather than governance. The BSW remains the only party that has not ruled out exploratory talks with the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt following the state election.

Bundestag debate and AfD response

The exchange in Magdeburg followed a confrontation in the federal parliament on Wednesday, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed AfD deputies during the general budget debate. Merz stated that the AfD concept of remigration amounted to ethnic cleansing based on skin colour and origin. The AfD parliamentary group rejected the Chancellor's statement as unacceptable and filed a criminal complaint against Merz. Following Siegmund's remarks on Thursday, CDU politician Ruprecht Polenz stated that Siegmund's stance supported Merz's characterization. Within the AfD, federal defence policy spokesperson Rüdiger Lucassen defended Siegmund, arguing on X that the Bundeswehr could provide administrative assistance to federal police by supplying military transport aircraft for deportation flights instead of chartered planes.