Nicolaus Fest is a German politician and former journalist who has served as a Member of the European Parliament. Nicolaus Fest, a former MEP from Germany’s far-right Alternative für Germany (AfD) party, has demonstrated pro-Russian leanings through his statements and policy positions. His stance is framed within broader critiques of EU/NATO policies and support for Russian aggression.
Fest defended Germany’s reliance on Russian energy via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, arguing it served German national interests despite criticism of its geopolitical risks. He emphasised that the deal was negotiated by previous governments (Schroeder and Merkel) and framed energy security as a pragmatic necessity.
Fest is highly critical of EU supranationalism and NATO. He views the EU as a neo-imperial entity, which runs on a framework dominated by a “remote superpower,” drawing parallels with the “Reich” or empire. He argues that the EU’s ambitions of soft power and economic diplomacy are not sufficient in a world that increasingly values military might and spheres of influence. This could be seen as an indirect critique of EU policies that, in his view, fail to address the hard power required for dealing with countries like Russia.
While acknowledging Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, Fest argued that Western neglect of military power emboldens Russia. He stated: “If we neglect our military power, we shouldn’t wonder that Russia is using its military power to shape history anew”. This reflects a realist perspective rather than explicit pro-Russian advocacy, though it sidesteps direct condemnation of Russian aggression.
Fest’s party, the AfD, aligns with far-right European movements that often exhibit pro-Russian sympathies. These groups frequently oppose sanctions against Russia, claiming they harm European economies. Question NATO’s role and frame conflicts as provoked by Western expansion. Reject military aid to Ukraine, as seen in the AfD’s refusal to attend Volodymyr Zelensky’s Bundestag speech.
Moreover, the AfD’s broader anti-Ukraine positions include opposition to military support for Kyiv. Revisionist narratives about Ukraine’s sovereignty, though Fest himself did not explicitly endorse these views in the cited material.
