Copenhagen (dpa) – Germany’s highest-ranking military officer is to become the new Chair of the NATO Military Committee. Chief of Defence General Carsten Breuer was elected to succeed Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone at a meeting of the committee in Copenhagen and is due to take office in July 2027.
Commenting on Breuer’s election, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Germany was taking responsibility within the Alliance at a challenging time. “We are grateful for the trust our allies place in us,” Merz wrote on X. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius praised Breuer for his strategic foresight. He said that, as Chief of Defence, Breuer had played a key role in restructuring the Bundeswehr.
Breuer said: “We face major tasks ahead within the Alliance – for our security and for peace in Europe and beyond.”
Alongside the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the Chair of the Military Committee is considered one of the most influential military figures in NATO. He is the Secretary General’s principal military adviser and also acts as the link through which the joint recommendations of the chiefs of defence of all NATO member states are submitted to the political decision-making bodies. The last German to hold the post was General Harald Kujat, from 2002 to 2005.
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