Plan for National Security Council: Commissioner supports Kramp-Karrenbauer

The advance of Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) for new Bundeswehr operations in crisis regions has triggered heated discussions.

Although the minister of defense of the German Bundestag, Hans-Peter Bartels (SPD), welcomed the minister's topic of "global responsibility" in Germany. But the army lacked equipment and personnel for major military tasks, Bartels told the Passauer Neue Presse.

Rainer Jensen / dpa

Hans-Peter Bartels: Germany can not "stand on the sidelines and distribute attitude notes," says the SPD politician

Kramp-Karrenbauer had said on Thursday that she heard from all directions that Germany had to assume a role as a "power of organization". The country must play a much more active military role, with the creation of a National Security Council. The statements fell during a keynote address by the CDU leader before the junior executives of the Bundeswehr in Munich.

Merkel: National Security Council important, but no new idea

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) described the idea of ​​a National Security Council as put forward by her minister, but not as new within the CDU. So far, however, it has not been possible to anchor a National Security Council in coalition agreements, said Merkel on the sidelines of a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The Wehrbeauftragte Bartels agreed Kramp-Karrenbauer also, but also referred to international missions in which the Bundeswehr already stands now. "Standing on the sidelines and distributing attitude notes is certainly not the case for Europe's largest country, the world's fourth largest economy." Mrs. Kramp-Karrenbauer is "completely right".

Currently, 3,100 soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan, Mali and Niger, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, Jordan and Iraq. There would be far greater NATO commitments in Europe. "The troops are already plaguing bottlenecks," said Bartels.

Other politicians from the coalition partner SPD rejected the plans of Kramp-Karrenbauer for various reasons. Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesman for the group, told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung": "We do not need an additional body." It is crucial that everyone does his job and that the Ministry of Defense ensures the operational capability of the Bundeswehr. "

SPD parliamentary group vice-president Gabriela Heinrich warned in the "Rheinische Post": "There can never be any national solo efforts in German security policy." Kramp-Karrenbauer tried with their proposal probably "distract from internal discussions."

Also the candidates for the SPD presidency, Norbert Walter Borjans and Saskia Esken, rejected the plan of the Minister of Defense. "This discussion, led by Mrs. Kramp-Karrenbauer, that Germany must finally become normal and send soldiers everywhere, I think that is completely wrong", said Walter-Borjans the spark media. "Our story has rightfully put us on a different track." Esken was in favor of diplomacy, sustainable development cooperation and conflict prevention.

Green parliamentary leader Anton Hofreiter had called the plan Kramp-Karren Bauer as "undifferentiated" calls for military irresponsible. He has the impression that the Secretary of Defense defends himself above all else, and to this row "daring, ill-conceived and age-old ideas together," said Hofreiter.