Overview
- AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund publicly said the judiciary is "to a certain extent politically occupied," citing a personal hearing before the Saxony-Anhalt constitutional court as proof of bias.
- More than 50 judges earlier published an open letter calling the AfD a "verfassungsfeindliche Partei" and urging a party‑ban proceeding, a step that prompted the AfD's rebuttal.
- Junge Freiheit reported that three of seven judges on the Landesverfassungsgericht Sachsen‑Anhalt — Frank Meyer, Detlef Eckert and Silke Schindler — are former professional politicians, a fact Siegmund used to argue for appointments based on qualification alone.
- No legal changes or formal reforms to appointment procedures have been announced and the dispute continues to play out in public debate as the AfD campaigns strongly before the state vote.
- The row highlights a broader issue in Germany where former politicians often sit on high courts and where any party‑ban move would be rare and ultimately decided by the Federal Constitutional Court.