Reorganization in the Ministry of Defense: Defense Minister Pistorius Adds Another State Secretary
Defense Minister Pistorius Secures Another State Secretary
Get ready for some changes at the Ministry of Defense! Defense Minister Pistoriorus is shaking things up and growing his team. This move has been agreed upon with Chancellor Merz, who recently suggested a hiring freeze. And there's a new member joining the crew.
The Ministry of Defense will soon have a third State Secretary. The 51-year-old Jan Stoess will take charge, as announced by the ministry. This expansion is in line with Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil.
Political Shuffling - It's not just expandin' the family, folks! Jens Plotner, former foreign policy advisor to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD, is also hoppin' on board as State Secretary for Armament and Innovation in the Ministry of Defense. Replacing Benedikt Zimmer, the 57-year-old Plotner will speed things up in procurement and drive forward essential European armament projects.
Stoess, a full-time lawyer, was previously the head of the Law and Organization department in the ministry. From 2012 to 2016, he served as the chairman of the Berlin SPD, later being succeeded by Michael Muller. After stints in the Berlin Senate Administration and Bremen, he's been workin' his magic in the Ministry of Defense since March 2022. The ministry justifies his appointment given the changing security policy situation. As a result, there's a lot more on the plate and the clock's a-tickin'!
Political Ramifications - Merz, the CDU chairman, had previously promised a public sector hiring freeze after taking office. But then, he changed his tune, sayin' it only applies to the federal administration. "Naturally," necessary positions must also be filled. However, the public sector in Germany has swollen to excessive proportions, and the traffic light government has significantly increased the number of ministry employees.
As Chancellor, Merz seems to have changed his tune again. In fact, there's a record number of top positions in reunified Germany, and one more ministry than under the traffic light government.
Sources: ntv.de, gho/dpa
- Ministry of Defense
- Boris Pistorius
- Friedrich Merz
Insights
In addition to the reorganization within the Ministry of Defense, defense expansion in Germany is underway. The German military, known as the Bundeswehr, is aiming to increase its total personnel to approximately 460,000, including active-duty soldiers, reservists, and new reservists. However, the Bundeswehr has seen a decline in troop numbers last year, and the average age of soldiers is on the rise. Despite these ambitions, Germany faces a noticeable military personnel shortage. The country also supports NATO's military expansion plans and needs to increase its military personnel significantly to meet NATO's demands.*
[*] The search results do not provide specific information on the new State Secretary appointments or changes in roles under Boris Pistorius and Friedrich Merz, but they do offer insight into the broader defense context in Germany.
- The political reshuffle in the Ministry of Defense is not confined to expansion; Jens Plotner, a former foreign policy advisor to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is also joining as State Secretary for Armament and Innovation, replacing Benedikt Zimmer.
- With the addition of Jan Stoess as the third State Secretary and Jens Plotner as State Secretary for Armament and Innovation, there is a record number of top positions in reunified Germany, surpassing the number under the traffic light government.
