Germany’s AfD wants to copy Hegseth’s ‘warrior culture’ in the Bundeswehr

BERLIN — Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) says the Bundeswehr has become too soft — and it wants to bring back grit, discipline and a “warrior culture” modeled on the U.S. military under Donald Trump.

In a Bundestag debate on Wednesday ahead of a vote on a new parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, AfD lawmaker Hannes Gnauck accused the military of drifting into “ideological decay.”

He mocked gender officers, climate-focused construction projects, and what he called a “wellness culture” for troops.

“We need fighters,” Gnauck said. “We don’t need CEOs with gender advisers in every staff company — we need men and women who can lead, fight, and defend our country.”

His comments track closely with the views of Trump’s current defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who has vowed to strip the U.S. military of progressive reforms and reinstate traditional values. 

Since entering the Pentagon under Trump’s second administration, Hegseth has slashed diversity programs and promised to restore what he calls a “warrior ethos.”

Gnauck mocked climate-friendly upgrades in Bundeswehr barracks as a symptom of misplaced priorities. “Climate protection instead of combat readiness — that’s madness,” he said. “This is pure green ideology.”

He also criticized the current state of troop accommodations: “Every soldier has their own room, Wi-Fi, a TV — but no space for camaraderie. Soldiers are not hotel guests. They need weapons, vehicles, and a community they can rely on.”

The AfD — the largest opposition party in the Bundestag following Germany’s February election — has also doubled down on its rejection of arms deliveries to Ukraine. Gnauck warned against Germany's being drawn into “proxy wars” and accused the government of “bleeding the Bundeswehr dry” to serve foreign interests.

Germany is the No. 2 donor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, and the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to continue shipping weapons to Kyiv as the U.S. under Trump shows signs of withdrawing from the conflict.