According to Reuters, on September 19 Carsten Breuer was elected Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee by secret ballot of the 32 chiefs of staff of the alliance’s member states, who gathered in Copenhagen. NATO’s Military Committee also serves as the alliance’s chief military adviser to the Secretary General. Breuer will take office in July 2027.
The current Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said that Breuer’s deep knowledge of the alliance and leadership of the German armed forces would be an asset. He also noted that the German general was entrusted with this post at a difficult moment for Euro-Atlantic security.
Reuters links Breuer’s selection to U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls for Europe to take primary responsibility for security on the continent after decades of American leadership. Breuer’s main rival was Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff Jennie Carignan. Politico wrote that her appointment could have increased tensions amid disagreements between Washington and Ottawa.
Breuer is 61 years old, has served in the Bundeswehr since 1984, and in 2014 was part of NATO’s contingent in Afghanistan. During the coronavirus pandemic, he earned the nickname “the chancellor’s general” after Olaf Scholz appointed him head of the crisis committee coordinating Germany’s measures to combat COVID-19 in 2021–2022. The last German representative to head NATO’s Military Committee was General Harald Kujat, more than 20 years ago.
Breuer’s election comes amid major internal changes in the alliance. Politico noted that Germany now leads among NATO’s European allies in defense spending, and by 2030 Berlin plans to double military spending to €200 billion.
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