During the event, Steimle sang the East German national anthem, prompting criticism from various political figures and organizations, including the Sachsen-Anhalt Memorial Foundation and Chancellor’s Office Minister Thorsten Frei, who deemed the act ‘extremely unsettling.’ The State Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an investigation into Steimle’s comments, which included a reference to Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, raising concerns about public peace and the implications of such rhetoric. The incident has intensified scrutiny of the AfD’s political messaging and its implications for political discourse in Germany.