AfD's Saxony-Anhalt Leader Links Arms Production to Deportation Plans
AfD's likely Saxony-Anhalt leader Ulrich Siegmund has tied arms production to deportation plans, amid uncertainty over a proposed defence plant in Sangerhausen.
The far-right Alternative for Germany's likely leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, has suggested that allowing a weapons manufacturer to operate in the state could help supply resources for the party's planned deportation campaigns.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Siegmund said the party does not reject military production outright. "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," he said, adding that such output also served internal security, stability and national defence.
His remarks come amid uncertainty over a planned defence industry investment in the city of Sangerhausen. Local public broadcaster MDR has reported that Israel's Elbit Systems is in talks to build a plant there to manufacture components for other German companies. City officials say the site would not produce complete weapons systems, drones or artillery shells, and could create up to 400 jobs.
Elbit Systems Deutschland said it continuously evaluates opportunities for further expansion in Germany but that no locations have yet been selected. It described itself as a long-standing partner operating across several locations in Germany, employing hundreds of German workers and strengthening its local industrial presence.
The AfD, which seeks to restore ties with Russia and brands itself a "party of peace", opposes Germany's record defence spending under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and military support for Ukraine. That stance has raised questions about the future of the Sangerhausen project.
Siegmund said the party was monitoring developments there. "We want to take a close look at exactly what is being produced and under what conditions, and whether this runs the risk of involving us in foreign conflicts," he said.
The anti-immigration party, which is seeking to form a state government after a historic election victory just short of an outright majority, has pledged deportations "from the first minute", citizen patrols and separate classrooms for refugee children.
Any backing for the project could complicate talks with the left-wing populist BSW, the only party not to rule out cooperation with the AfD. The BSW, which like the AfD opposes German military support for Ukraine, has campaigned against the Sangerhausen project, rejecting economic arguments for attracting foreign defence manufacturers.