As of: April 5, 2024, 4:59 a.m
By: Bettina Menzel
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Military personnel at the new Bundeswehr base in Bernsdorf (symbolic image). © IMAGO/Sylvio Dittrich
Defense Minister Pistorius will shortly present the Bundeswehr's reform plans. A few days before, there was apparently still some wrangling internally about the structure – and criticism at the top.
Berlin – Shortly after taking office, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced the restructuring of his house. The first details about the reform plans for the Bundeswehr leaked out in March, and the Defense Minister plans to officially present the planned changes next Thursday. There is said to be internal criticism of the plans, as
Business Insider
reported.
Conflict in the Bundeswehr? This exception to the restructuring should be the issue
The reform plans for the Bundeswehr provide for numerous restructuring measures. In the future, for example, there will be four branches of the armed forces instead of the current three: cyber and information space will be added to the army, navy and air force. In the separate support area, the forces that all four branches of the armed forces need are united. These include medical services or logistics.
Previously independent areas such as the military police and NBC defense will in future be subordinated directly to the army - and not to the support area. This is intended to reduce the fragmentation of the land forces, since “in an emergency, these capabilities will primarily cover the needs of the land dimension,”
Business Insider
quotes the reasoning behind. The exception also includes civil-military cooperation and homeland security. But this regulation is apparently controversial within the Bundeswehr.
This is what the alleged dispute between the top generals in the Bundeswehr is about
Internally, this exception is causing criticism, as
Business Insider
reported with reference to several sources from the Defense Ministry. Accordingly, the so-called General Committee of Representatives (GVPA) recently spoke out categorically against this exception. The GVPA represents the interests of servicemen and women at the Ministry of Defense.
Federal Defense Minister Pistorius is said to have been surprised by the GVPA's negative attitude. According to the report, the project group that was responsible for developing the reform was originally against the exception. Then the army inspector Alfons Mais intervened with the inspector general of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Breuer. But he then granted the exception, which the army inspector didn't like. The information could not be independently verified.
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Bundeswehr reform: criticism of the Bundeswehr leadership?
Internally, criticism of Inspector General Breuer is said to be growing.
Business Insider
quotes an anonymous senior official who believes Breuer will lose his job after next year's election. According to the report, the relationship between Breuer and the inspectors of the armed forces is said to be cold. Germany's highest-ranking soldier took up his post around a year ago.
Overall, the reform plans aim to make the Bundeswehr “war-ready”. Boris Pistorius' final decision on the restructuring is expected to take place at the beginning of April. Concrete timelines should be developed and presented to Inspector General Breuer and Defense State Secretary Nils Hilmer by October 1st. The Bundeswehr still faces further challenges: the force is threatened with a huge financial gap in just a few years.