Tino ChrupallaAfD leader calls for the withdrawal of the US army from Germany

March 28, 2026 around 16:32 Clock

AfD leader Tino Chrupalla has opposed the further stationing of US military forces in Germany. “Let’s start implementing this – with the withdrawal of US troops from Germany,” said the federal spokesman in his speech at the Saxon party conference, according to the “Bild” newspaper. The AfD's basic program states: “The AfD is committed to the withdrawal of all Allied troops still stationed on German soil and in particular their nuclear weapons.”

Chrupalla called for a change in Germany's positioning and an orientation towards Spain. The country, ruled by a socialist prime minister, had spoken out against the US and Israeli war against Iran and banned Washington from using military bases.

Around 38,000 soldiers from the USA are currently stationed in Germany. The US Army bases are particularly located in Rhineland-Palatinate, with the important Ramstein Air Base, in Bavaria and in Baden-Württemberg. No US troops are permanently stationed in Saxony, where Chrupalla gave his speech, or throughout East Germany. Stationing NATO troops in the territory of the former GDR is prohibited under the Two Plus Four Treaty.

Various representatives of the AfD have repeatedly traveled to Washington since US President Donald Trump took office; they maintain close ties to the president's supporters. Chrupalla attended the Republican inauguration.

The AfD federal spokesman stated the change of power in the federal government and in Saxony as the goal for 2029. “But we also have to develop from an opposition party to a government party. That must now be our task and also our next step,” he said. “This development also demands a lot from us. Competence, the right balance, the right mix of patience and impatience.” In 2029 it will be about appointing the Prime Minister in Saxony and the Chancellor at the federal level, emphasized Chrupalla. At the same time, it's about winning in Europe.

The AfD is no longer the “one-issue party” it was thought to be years ago – “partly rightly so,” said Chrupalla. In the meantime, specialist skills have been gained in many areas. “But we also have to remember that at some point we will have to present successes to our voters in the form of government.” In 2029 you may have your last chance in Saxony. “Let's seize them. Because opportunities are like sunrises: if you wait too long, you miss them.”

The previous Saxon AfD state leader Jörg Urban has now been confirmed in his office. The 61-year-old was elected at the state party conference with 76.5 percent of the vote. This is the worst result he has achieved since taking over the state chairmanship in 2018. In his last election in Glauchau in 2024, he got a good 91 percent. Urban called on party members to be professional and united. This is the only way to fight successfully “in these stormy times”. “Our opponents’ attacks will increase the more successful we are.”

In December 2023, the Saxon AfD regional association was classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed right-wing extremist effort. The AfD has always rejected this, but has so far defended itself legally against it in vain.

Sources used: lme/dpa