Publication Date: 22.11.2025
Author: Friederike Haupt (FAZ)
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Publication Date: 22.11.2025
Summary Reading Time: 3 minutes
Executive Summary
The AfD faces a fundamental strategic test: While party leader Alice Weidel pursues a pragmatic approach to Trump's MAGA movement and demands distance from Putin, Tino Chrupalla and parts of the eastern state associations continue to maintain close Russia contacts. This emotion-driven Russia nostalgia threatens party unity and could undermine its political viability in the long term. The conflict reveals a fundamental problem: Emotionality that once attracted voters now hinders strategic cohesion.
Critical Key Questions
Can a party be successful long-term that places emotional attachments over strategic rationality – or will the AfD become victim to its own populist dynamics?
Where lies the boundary between legitimate diplomacy and problematic proximity to a warmonger – and who decides foreign policy course corrections in democratic parties?
What lessons do other European right-wing populists draw from this dilemma between traditional Russia sympathy and new America orientation under Trump?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
Short-term (1 year):
Escalation of internal tensions between Weidel and Chrupalla, possible defections or factional splits in eastern Germany, where Russia sympathies are traditionally strongly anchored.
Medium-term (5 years):
Either successful "Melonization" of the party with clear Western alignment or permanent split into an "Atlantic" and a "Eurasian" wing, which would massively impair coalition capability and electability.
Long-term (10–20 years):
Depending on the outcome of the Ukraine war and German-Russian relations, the current positioning could prove to be either a historical mistake or far-sighted realpolitik – with corresponding consequences for the German party landscape.
Main Summary
Core Topic & Context
The AfD is experiencing a fundamental strategic crisis regarding its Russia policy. While the Ukraine war redefines German foreign policy, the party struggles between emotional Russia attachment and pragmatic reorientation.
Most Important Facts & Figures
- Three AfD politicians traveled to a "symposium" in Sochi in November 2025
- Additional party members participated via Zoom, including a former MP denied Bundestag building access
- Public criticism from Alice Weidel of her party colleagues' Russia trip
- Tino Chrupalla explicitly supports the Russia contacts
- Media reports by the travelers to Russian state media and "Compact" magazine
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
- AfD leadership: Strategic directional dispute between Weidel (America orientation) and Chrupalla (Russia proximity)
- East German electorate: Traditionally pro-Russia oriented
- Democratic parties: Use the split for political differentiation
- Intelligence services: Monitor possible espionage connections [⚠️ To be verified]
Opportunities & Risks
Opportunities: Clarification of foreign policy position could increase electability and coalition capability
Risks:
- Internal party split and power struggle
- Loss of emotional connection to core voters
- Further security problems with Russia contacts
- Loss of credibility due to contradictory communication
Action Relevance
The AfD must promptly define a clear foreign policy line to preserve strategic capacity to act. For other parties, this offers an opportunity to use the uncertainty for their own profiling. Democratic institutions should consistently examine possible security risks.
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
Verification Status: ✅ Core statements journalistically documented
[⚠️ To be verified:] Concrete espionage allegations and security assessments by domestic intelligence
Sources
Primary Source:
How the Russia Question Splits the AfD – FAZ
Additional Research Recommended:
- Official statements by domestic intelligence on AfD-Russia contacts
- Reactions of other parties to the internal AfD split
- Comparable developments among European right-wing populists (Lega, FPÖ, etc.)
Fact-Check: ✅ Quotes and events documented by FAZ reporting on 22.11.2025