AfD MPs celebrate Putin's birthday: scandal in Saxony-Anhalt!

AfD MPs celebrate Putin's birthday: scandal in Saxony-Anhalt!

On October 9, 2025, three AfD members of the state parliament from Saxony-Anhalt - Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, Florian Schröder and Frank Otto Lizureck - gathered at the Russian embassy in Berlin for a rather controversial occasion. There they celebrated Vladimir Putin's 73rd birthday, an event organized by the controversial “Compact” magazine. This participation immediately caused a clear response from the ranks of the political opposition, which heavily criticized the AfD. While CDU parliamentary group leader Guido Heuer emphasized that parts of the AfD had abandoned the foundation of the free democratic basic order, FDP parliamentary group leader Andreas Silbersack spoke of a fundamental decision for the AfD between an alliance with Putin or Trump.

The presence of Jürgen Elsässer, the editor-in-chief of “Compact” magazine, who praised Putin as a “statesman” and “patriot” in his speech, provided additional national political fuel. This statement was not well received by the political left. Left-wing parliamentary group leader Eva von Angern warned urgently about Russia's influence on the upcoming state elections in 2026. Cornelia Lüddemann from the Greens also demanded that Tillschneider should not be allowed to come to power in this election.

Celebrations and concerns

The event at the embassy was more than just a reception - it included the launch of a special COMPACT silver medal “Patriot Vladimir Putin” overlaid in gold. Ambassador Sergei Nechayev opened the press conference, at which numerous Russian media representatives as well as German journalists from established media such as FAZ and DIE ZEIT were present. The medal, which is in high demand, can still be ordered, although it is stated that there are shortages of raw materials due to the high demand.

Criticism of the event is not only aimed at the symbolism, but also at the AfD's ongoing ties to Russia, which various political voices say are worrying. In the current hour in the Bundestag, which took place on April 11, 2024, the AfD was heavily accused of possible links to Russian hybrid warfare. While the traffic light parties, the Union and the Left denounced the AfD as a security risk for Germany, specific people associated with pro-Russian platforms, such as AfD politician Petr Bystron, were targeted.

Ongoing debates

The political debate about the AfD and its relations with Russia seems inexhaustible. Important opposition actors are calling for a comprehensive clarification of the suspicions surrounding the AfD and its influence in Germany. Critics, including members of the SPD and the Greens, increasingly see the AfD as a “mouthpiece for the Kremlin”. Konstantin Kuhle from the FDP even warns against “systematic infiltration of Russia” into German political structures.

In summary, this shows that party politics in Germany, especially towards Russia, balances on a thin line. The views on the AfD and its proximity to autocratic governments like the Kremlin continue to raise questions that will probably provide plenty of material for discussion in the coming months.