The Iran war divides the German far-right
The leadership of Alternative for Germany distances itself from Trump for his interventionism
BerlinThe war between the United States and Israel against Iran has reactivated internal disputes within the German far-right. Within Alternative for Germany (AfD), a Trumpist wing coexists with a critical sector that increasingly distances itself from the occupant of the White House. The far-right party sought to get closer to Trump after his return to the White House. They share with him the rejection of immigration, climate change denial, and criticism of the European Union. However, with the start of the war against Iran, AfD leaders are again trying to distance themselves from Washington.
Trump and his MAGA (Make America great again) movement have supported many European populist and far-right parties in their electoral campaigns, legitimizing xenophobic and extremist ideas. AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla was invited by the Republican Party to Trump's inauguration in January 2025, one month before the federal elections in Germany. Billionaire Elon Musk, then special advisor to Trump at the White House, shook up the German electoral campaign last year by calling for votes for the AfD.
Markus Frohnmaier, foreign policy spokesperson for the far-right parliamentary group, has traveled to Washington on several occasions to strengthen ties with Trumpists. A few days ago, Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC), visited the Bundestag – the lower house of the German Parliament – as a guest of the AfD.
However, Trump's continued interference in other countries – from threats to Greenland to his intervention in Venezuela to oust President Nicolás Maduro – has not pleased the party leadership. "Trump has broken a fundamental electoral promise: not to interfere in other states," denounced German far-right leader Alice Weidel, after Trump's threats to annex Greenland "by hook or by crook."
Distancing
With the war against Iran underway, the AfD leaders are once again trying to distance themselves from Trump. According to the German press, Weidel has asked her colleagues to reduce contact and travel to the United States, as, in the context of the conflict with Iran, they could be inappropriate.
The AfD leadership blames Trump for attacking Iran and further inflaming the Middle East. Chrupalla has expressed himself "deeply disappointed with Donald Trump" for having broken his electoral promise not to start new wars. Regarding the conflict with Iran, the far-right politician sees "no exit strategy, not even a strategy, in a war contrary to international law." In contrast, Frohnmaier had praised the American attacks against Tehran for their "surgical precision and clear targeting."
A few days ago, Chrupalla demanded the withdrawal of all American troops from Germany, words that have earned him internal criticism. The deputy spokesperson for the AfD parliamentary group, Beatrix von Storch, opposes this. She considers that the prerequisite for this to be possible is that Germany can defend itself and fulfill its obligations within NATO, which, according to her, is not currently the case.
Germany hosts more than 35,000 American soldiers and key bases, such as the Ramstein air base. Curiously, Chrupalla praised the Spanish government for not allowing Trump to use American bases on its territory for operations in the war against Iran.
Political scientists and political analysts interpret the recent criticisms of the AfD leadership towards Trump mainly in an electoral context. In September, there are regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The far-right aspires to form its first regional government in Saxony-Anhalt. Too obvious a proximity to Trump could cause them to lose votes in former communist Germany, where the anti-Washington discourse could revive in the current context of international instability and rising fuel prices.