Rüdiger Lucassen AfD MdB Image: Wikicommons by Olaf Kosinsky
Guest post by Robert Semonsen
As seismic geopolitical shifts unfold and Europe’s dependence on the U.S. for security grows increasingly uncertain, the right-wing, anti-globalist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is urging Germany to develop its own nuclear arsenal and reinstate universal military conscription—including for women.
Speaking to the German news outlet T-Online in an interview on Thursday, March 6th, AfD MP Rüdiger Lucassen, a former Bundeswehr colonel who serves as the party’s chief defense expert, argued that Germany can no longer depend on Washington’s nuclear shield to ensure it’s security.
“If the U.S. steps back, Europe must step up,” Lucassen stated, calling for an independent European security structure with Germany at its core. “We need our own nuclear deterrent, a European command structure, and a military capable of defending itself. That means changing the Basic Law—fast.”
While clarifying that he isn’t suggesting some kind of Russian attack is imminent, Lucassen said it was nevertheless a possibility that responsible German leaders ought to prepare for. The former Bundeswehr colonel’s concerns were echoed by Hannes Gnauk, another member of AfD’s faction in the German Bundestag, who has also called for Germany to develop its own nuclear weapons stockpile.
Gnauk’s take on Russia and its proper relationship to Germany is slightly different from the former colonel’s, however, as he advocates for pragmatic economic ties while acknowledging that Moscow is neither a friend nor an enemy.
Other representatives from the anti-establishment insurgent party, now the second-largest party in the Bundestag after last month’s federal elections, have warned that if the United States under President Trump does withdraw from NATO, Germany ought to assume a leadership role in what’s left of the alliance.
Meanwhile, Germany’s globalist regime parties, including the SPD and CDU/CSU, have been discussing new ways to beef up the country’s defense capabilities—a clear indication, if there ever was one, that national security is becoming a central issue in the political landscape as a result of the rapidly changing world order under Trump.
MP Lucassen also proposed reinstating mandatory military conscription, including for women, to strengthen Germany’s security.
AfD Member of European Parliament (MEP) Tomasz Froelich appeared to agree with his fellow party members in a post to X, where he wrote: “The AfD’s triple-A: “Atomwaffen (Nuclear weapons). Atomkraft (Nuclear power). Abschieben (Deportation).”
Das Triple A der AfD: Atomwaffen. Atomkraft. Abschieben. https://t.co/V9hzFsO78Q
— Tomasz Froelich (@TomaszFroelich) March 7, 2025
With energy costs soaring due to wreckless, shortsighted left-liberal policies that shut down Germany’s nuclear power plants and severed access to cheap Russian gas, the AfD aims to reverse course by restoring relations with Russia, repairing the damaged Nord Stream pipeline, and reviving nuclear energy production.
Germany, Europe’s industrial powerhouse, has faced significant economic setbacks due to rising energy costs, prompting some of its largest companies to lay off substantial numbers of employees.
The German lawmakers’ statements come a day after French President Emmanuel Macron, reacting to shifts in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, reiterated his support for a shared nuclear deterrent in Europe.
France, Macron said, must recognize its “special status” as having the “most efficient, effective army in Europe,” as well as having nuclear weapons. France is the EU’s only nuclear power following the UK’s departure from the bloc.
At present, France allocates roughly $6.04 billion annually to sustain its arsenal of 290 nuclear weapons, which includes both submarine- and air-launched systems, making it the fourth-largest stockpile globally. Approximately 15% of the country’s yearly defense budget is dedicated to maintaining and upgrading its nuclear forces.
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