Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, asserts that there is no contradiction between the lifestyle of his party leader, Alice Weidel, and the family-oriented ideals presented in the AfD’s electoral platform. Speaking to the broadcasters RTL and ntv, Siegmund stated that everyone should “live the way they are happy,” but he emphasized that there is a difference when it comes to whether he “especially supports a family that brings children into the world.”
Siegmund defended the platform’s specific wording, such as “sexual deviation and non-reproductive lifestyles.” He noted that Weidel had addressed this passage in July, stating, “I won’t go with that. Because I am clearly more socially liberal and I live it. I live it.” She added that “we should really leave this division behind.” Siegmund, however, dismissed the suggestion that this was a disagreement, stating, “Looking back, I considered it differently.”
The state party’s platform explicitly states: “Children and thus coming generations are born only from the union of a man and a woman.” It further claims that “an intact family consisting of a mother, a father, and children” is “proven to be the best prerequisite for healthy and good child development.” The document also asserts that rising abortion rates and falling birth rates are linked to the more overt promotion of “sexual deviations and non-reproductive lifestyles.” Elsewhere, the platform refers to “non-normal gender identities” or “deviant sexual preferences.”
When questioned about the term “sexual deviation,” which some listeners might perceive as derogatory, Siegmund responded that “it is very often in the current discussion that people talk about the choice of words. That just opens up room for interpretation. Perhaps we will define it more precisely next time.”
However, he focused the conversation back on family, noting that the goal is to support those “who naturally cushion the demographic crisis in this country-the catastrophe, one must be honest-by having sensible family policies.” Siegmund also said that mothers, including Weidel, must be supported. Nonetheless, the party intends to place “full focus on sensible family policy.” He clarified that homosexual couples should not be fundamentally excluded from adoption, adding, “There are cases where that can be quite sensible,” provided it occurs “under strict conditions.”
