A Fresh Look at the Ministry of Defense: Newcomer Jan Stoess Takes the Third State Secretary Role
Defense Minister Pistorius secures a new Secretary of State.
In an agreement with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is giving his ministry a shake-up. The latest addition? A third State Secretary. Welcome aboard, Jan Stoess, as the ministry announced.
Jens Plötner, a familiar face in the political arena, will share the State Secretary spotlight, taking on the position of State Secretary for Armament and Innovation. He replaces the previous State Secretary Benedikt Zimmer and is expected to expedite procurement and propel key European armament projects. Plötner previously served as Scholz's foreign policy advisor.
At 51, Stoess, a full-fledged lawyer, has worn many hats in the ministry, with his most recent role as the head of the department of law and organization. His ascent within the ministry includes serving as the chairman of the Berlin SPD, a role he vacated to pave the way for the later Governing Mayor Michael Müller. He joined the defense department in March 2022, and his new appointment stems from the changing security policy dynamics that have escalated the number of tasks and the time pressure for their execution.
Despite his initial promises of a hiring freeze in the public service last fall, Merz has made an exception for necessary positions. However, it seems that his stance has shifted as the newly appointed Chancellor. The record number of top positions in reunited Germany, along with an additional ministry compared to the traffic light government, hint at this revision in assessment.
Sources: ntv.de, gho/dpa
Ministerial Roles:
- Ministry of Defense
- State Secretary (Jan Stoess, Jens Plötner)
Political Figures:
- Boris Pistorius
- Friedrich Merz
- Jens Plötner
- Michael Müller
- Olaf Scholz
- Jan Stoess, the newly appointed State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, formerly served as the head of the department of law and organization within the same ministry.
- The General News and Politics spheres have reported a shift in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's stance, with an exception made for essential positions like Jan Stoess' current position, despite his initial promises of a public service hiring freeze.
