AfD: No Finger Curls for the BRD
A heated debate over conscription and the future of Germany’s armed forces has split the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The dispute erupted after the AfD voted against a military service modernisation bill, angering many former soldiers within its ranks. At the heart of the conflict lie deep ideological divisions between völkisch nationalists and more traditional conservatives.
The row began when AfD lawmaker Rüdiger Lucassen, a former soldier, criticised party colleague Björn Höcke for his stance on the Bundeswehr. Lucassen claimed Höcke believed Germany was no longer worth defending. Höcke fired back, declaring he would fight and die for 'Germany’s existence'—but not for the current Federal Republic.
Lucassen, who supports conscription and a strong military, was formally reprimanded by his own parliamentary group for publicly challenging Höcke. His faction, which includes other AfD members with military backgrounds, opposes what they see as excessive 'woke' influences in the armed forces.
Meanwhile, a third group in the debate is tied to Götz Kubitschek and Antaios Publishing. They advocate for mandatory military service but view both the Bundeswehr and wider society as being in a state of crisis. Another faction, led by figures like Benedikt Kaiser, pushes for a völkisch-authoritarian state with strict social roles, a powerful Bundeswehr, and minimal migration. Kaiser and others admire authoritarian models like Trump but warn against over-reliance on the US, preferring an Eastern European alignment.
The divide exposes broader tensions within the AfD. Völkisch nationalists, including Höcke and philosopher Günter Maschke, reject the democratic republic entirely, pledging loyalty only to the German people. Traditional conservatives, however, seek a return to the old Federal Republic rather than its overthrow.
The AfD’s rejection of the military modernisation bill has intensified internal conflicts. The party remains split between those who want to reshape Germany into an authoritarian state and those who aim to restore a past version of the republic. The outcome of this dispute could influence the AfD’s future policies on defence and national identity.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
