Germany's military buildup and AfD surge alarm neighboring countries
After the war in Ukraine, Germany has accelerated its defence spending and even discussed reinstating conscription, while the AfD is gaining ground in national polls and local elections. Polish officials warned that a militarised Germany under a pro-Russia party could repeat historic dangers. French experts fear Germany could eclipse France as Europe’s leading defence industry. European officials say the shift could reshape continental power balances.
In the wake of the Ukraine conflict, Germany is expanding its armed forces at an unprecedented pace, with defence budgets rising sharply and talk of bringing back mandatory military service. At the same time, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is performing well in both nationwide surveys and regional contests, drawing accusations of pro-Russia sympathies and historical revisionism. Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski warned that a re-armed Germany under such influences could repeat past threats, while President Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz dismissed the need for historical resentment.
French analysts expressed concern that Germany might overtake France as Europe’s top defence-industry player. European officials interviewed said the development could alter the continent’s power dynamics and risk pulling Germany back toward a cautious, Russia-friendly stance, even without AfD influence. Security expert Wolfgang Isachinger stressed that the aim should be to bolster NATO and EU security, not to make Germany a dominant power again.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps portray Germany’s military expansion as alarming, focusing on the rise of the far-right AfD and its potential to destabilize European security.
LEFT
Highlights the risk that Germany’s ambitious defence build-up combined with the AfD’s electoral surge could destabilise European security.
CENTER
Emphasises alarm that Germany’s rearmament may fall into the hands of the far-right AfD, which is seen as sympathetic to Moscow and a threat to Europe.
The left emphasises
- plan to transform the Bundeswehr into Europe’s most powerful conventional force
- critics in France and Poland warn the growing might and AfD success could destabilise security
- the AfD’s electoral surge raises concerns
How this story developed
- Sep 17 German leaders discuss up to 25-cent fuel price relief with states
- Sep 19 A consensus on the fuel‑tax rebate was reached, moving the plan from discussion to scheduled implementation.
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