AfD Defense Spokesperson Rüdiger Lucassen Resigns Amid Internal Conflict

Rüdiger Lucassen has announced his immediate resignation as the defense spokesman for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group in the Bundestag. While Lucassen is stepping down from his leadership role, he stated that he will remain an ordinary member of the Bundestag’s defense committee.

The resignation follows reports of an internal effort to remove him from the position. A motion to depose Lucassen had been proposed, citing a leadership deficit, as well as uncoordinated public positions and unilateral actions. The motion identified Jan Nolte as the proposed successor for the role.

Internal Party Conflict

The push for Lucassen’s removal was rooted in a complex internal struggle within the AfD. Formal removal from the post would have required a two-thirds majority vote within the defense working group, followed by a similar vote in the full parliamentary group.

Lucassen has linked the efforts to oust him to influences from figures in Thuringia. He attributes the friction to his specific policy stances, which include being pro-NATO, pro-U.S., and supportive of the reintroduction of compulsory military service, or conscription.

While the AfD’s basic program includes the reintroduction of conscription, the policy is currently unpopular among members of the party in eastern Germany. Critics of Lucassen, however, argue that the primary issue is not his policy positions but rather his handling of colleagues and internal party processes.

Professional Background and Policy Stances

Lucassen is a former Bundeswehr officer who served in senior positions. His professional background informed his role as a leading defense politician for the AfD in the Bundestag. His commitment to Western alignment and NATO has placed him in a distinct position within the party; he was one of only three AfD politicians invited to the Munich Security Conference this year.

In a statement to the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Lucassen addressed the internal pressure, noting that there were movements within the defense policy working group to remove him, even before a formal motion was officially filed.

Organizational Context of the AfD

The internal rift occurs as the AfD continues to face scrutiny over its ideological direction and security ties. The party is currently led by co-leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel. As of 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has identified the AfD as an extreme right political party.

The party’s ideology is characterized by right-wing populism, national conservatism, and Euroscepticism. It has also been associated with völkisch nationalism. In the current Bundestag, the AfD holds 151 of 630 seats, and it maintains a presence in state parliaments and the European Parliament, where This proves affiliated with the Europe of Sovereign Nations Party.

The resignation of Lucassen as defense spokesman highlights the ongoing tension between the party’s established military-policy wing and its more radical elements, particularly those based in eastern German states like Thuringia.