Germany's far-right AfD party accused of nepotism

DW News · Feb 12, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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The populist far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) likes to present itself as anti-establishment and as the voice of ordinary people. Nepotism in political parties, they believe, never goes down well with voters. When former Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party allowed friends or family members of his personnel to be hired back in 2023, AfD officials quickly accused him of "nepotism" and of fostering "clan criminality." The deputy federal chairman of the AfD, Stephan Brandner, spoke of a "mafia-like network," even though Habeck's personnel policy ultimately did not violate any laws or regulations. Now, AfD lawmakers are under fire for employing family members. In the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, several of the party's state and federal parliamentarians are reported to have employed relatives in the offices of their party colleagues. Several media outlets, including German public broadcaster ZDF, report that some of the AfD politicians' relatives have been receiving handsome salaries — paid from state coffers.Young, far-right and radical? Meet the AfD's future leadersTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Nepotism allegation in Saxony-Anhalt The focus of criticism is on Ulrich Siegmund. He is the AfD's leading candidate for September's state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where his party is currently polling at 40% and well ahead of its competitors.Siegmund is hoping to get enough voter support to form and then head the next government there. He would become the first right-wing extremist to head a state government in Germany in post-World War II history. Now it has emerged that Ulrich Siegmund's father has been hired for a role in a Bundestag member's office, earning an annual salary of almost €100,000 ($119,000) a year. Siegmund says the hiring is justified, claiming it is difficult to find trustworthy staff. The practice is not illegal: In Germany, members of parliament are only prohibited from hiring their own family members, but they can hire those of party colleagues. Political scientist Alexander Hensel from the University of Göttingen does not consider accusations of nepotism to be the AfD's biggest problem. However, he says they could be explosive because they are not leveled only by critics from outside the party. "This is also being raised by the most radical wing of the AfD and its supporters," Hensel told DW. "Unlike usual, this scandal is not only coming from outside the party, but is also being fueled strongly from within, which could lead to further internal conflicts." One of the most prominent accusers from within is the influential AfD state leader in the eastern state of Thuringia, Björn Höcke. He has gone on the attack against his party colleagues. On the social media platform X, he warned the AfD could only be defeated from within: "This failure is becoming a possibility," Höcke wrote. Political scientist Hensel sees this as part of a fundamental debate. He says the radical right around Höcke claims the nepotism scandal is proof the party leaders in Saxony-Anhalt have conformed to Germany's corrupt political system. By attacking them, Höcke is attempting to strengthen the radical far-right forces in the party, according to Hensel. Germany's AfD courts MAGA at NY gala To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Scandals are currently piling up in the AfD An AfD member of the European Parliament has accused her regional association in Lower Saxony of secretive dealings and enriching themselves Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has permanently banned seven AfD employees from entering the Bundestag for security reasons. Some of them have previous convictions for incitement to hatred, resisting police officers, or violating the Weapons Act Some AfD officials have demonstratively reached out to the Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner. Many in the AfD consider him to be too extreme An AfD member of the Bavarian state parliament was heavily fined in February 2026 for money laundering and coercion A former AfD member of the Bundestag is one of the accused in a criminal trial against a suspected terrorist organization The AfD's co-chair, Tino Chrupalla, chose a moderately critical tone when he admitted in a TV interview on public broadcaster ARD that the hiring practices in Saxony-Anhalt left a "bad taste." The two AfD chairpersons, Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, have been accused of weak leadership, and political scientist Alexander Hensler believes the party leadership's room for maneuver is very limited. "They cannot afford to get involved in a major conflict in an election year when so much is at stake," he said. Alexander Hensel sees the nepotism accusation as having real potential to harm the AfD. "Its self-portrayal as an alternative to the established parties will be damaged. The AfD's populist criticism of the other parties is now turning against itself," Hensel says. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.