German defense chief gives pep talk on ‘happy farts’
Germans should adopt a tough stance against “enemies of democracy” at home and uncomplainingly embrace the continuation of costly aid for Ukraine, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has insisted, invoking a maxim on “happy farts.”
Speaking at a Social Democratic Party (SPD) convention in the city of Koblenz on Saturday, Pistorius branded the opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD), and anyone voting for it, the “enemies of democracy.”
The minister urged Germans to “stand up for this democracy” more forcefully.
“A happy fart never comes from a miserable ass,” Pistorius declared, quoting 16th-century German theologian Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. The phrase suggests that one’s mindset ultimately shapes outcomes.
According to the minister, Germans should apply the same attitude to external affairs.
“And that’s why it’s so important that we, as the Federal Republic of Germany… stand by Ukraine, even if it costs a lot of money,” Pistorius said.
He argued that Germany could afford the effort as the largest economy in Europe and the third largest in the world.
The defense minister acknowledged that without Western aid, “Ukraine would be dead tomorrow.”
Germany is Ukraine’s top backer within the European Union, having provided more than €40 billion ($46 billion) since the escalation of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022.
Soon after assuming office last May, Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to transform the German military into the “strongest conventional army in Europe,” while continuing to prop up Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Germany’s economy saw two years of recession in 2023 and 2024, and a period of near-stagnation in 2025.
Last December, the country’s central bank warned that Germany is on track to post its largest budget deficit since reunification in 1990, citing a ramp up in military expenditure and continued financial support to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last year that “with their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are transforming into a Fourth Reich.”
