The AfD Sachsen-Anhalt opened its state election campaign on Saturday at Messe Magdeburg with a mix of bold claims, celebrity greetings, and a confident push for a historic result. Lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, co-leader Alice Weidel, and other senior figures addressed around 3,000 registered supporters, while up to 15,000 watched via livestream. The party, classified as right-wing extremist by the state's domestic intelligence agency, is polling above 40% and aiming for a stable majority in the 6 September vote.

Donation claim and CDU reaction

Siegmund told the crowd he had received a €5,000 donation from a CDU district councillor in Saxony-Anhalt. He said the donor wished to remain anonymous for one or two months but wanted the AfD to "protect our beautiful homeland, our country from this left-green course of the CDU."

“What I am about to say sounds almost too good to be true. But it really happened. Yesterday we received a €5,000 donation from a CDU politician. Yes, no joke, a CDU district council member from Saxony-Anhalt is donating to the AfD election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt.”

CDU General Secretary Mario Karschunke dismissed the claim as unsubstantiated and demanded the donor be identified. "It is as always! Unsubstantiated assertions do not replace facts. If the AfD asserts a concrete matter, it should name names," he told the Berliner Zeitung. He added that any concrete case would be examined under party statutes, but the CDU's focus remained on the issues that matter to voters.

Polling and ambitions

The AfD enters the final seven weeks with a commanding poll lead. Surveys put the party above 40%, far ahead of the CDU at 23–26% and the Left at 12–13%. The SPD, Greens, FDP, and BSW are all fighting to clear the 5% threshold. Siegmund set a target of 45%, telling supporters, "Not 44, not 43 percent, I want to govern stably." Weidel declared that Siegmund would become the next minister-president and that she herself had been announced as the future chancellor.

Protests and atmosphere

Outside the venue, the alliance Solidarisches Magdeburg organised a counter-demonstration. Police said around 300 people took part, including groups such as Omas gegen Rechts, church representatives, and cultural figures. The protest was kept at a distance from the AfD event. Inside, the mood was jubilant, though some attendees left early and the seated hall was not completely full. Merchandise stalls sold T-shirts, tote bags, and folding rulers bearing Siegmund's image and slogans like "Vision 2026". Some supporters wore clothing with far-right symbols, including a shirt from the extremist micro-party III. Weg.

Wendler and other guests

A video message from Schlager singer Michael Wendler, broadcast from Florida, drew applause. Wendler wished the party success and noted that his wife Laura Müller comes from Tangermünde in Saxony-Anhalt. Former domestic intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maaßen also attended, confirming he had been invited by Siegmund. The rally largely avoided the day's big political story, the resignation of CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn, until a Brandenburg AfD politician briefly referenced it more than an hour into the programme.

The campaign launch underscored the AfD's confidence that it can turn its poll numbers into a governing mandate, while the CDU sought to dismiss the donation claim as a campaign stunt. With seven weeks until election day, the race in Saxony-Anhalt is shaping up as a test of whether the AfD can convert its support into executive power for the first time in a German state.