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Politico (26 June 2026)

Pauline VON PEZOLD and Frederik SCHINDLER

It’s unclear whether the revelation will dent the AfD’s large lead in polls ahead of key state elections in eastern Germany.

A senior lawmaker in the far-right Alternative for Germany party is under mounting pressure after a newly surfaced photograph appears to show him making a Nazi salute — an allegation he denies, insisting the gesture was intended as a joke.

The previously unpublished image, obtained by POLITICO’s Inside AfDpodcast, shows Martin Reichardt, a member of Germany’s federal parliament, raising his left arm while smiling during a gathering six years ago. While Reichardt denies the gesture was meant to be a Nazi salute, two people who were in attendance, granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the manner, said it was intended as one.

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