Enhancing Crisis Resilience: Collaboration Between the Federal Government and the National Security Council for Germany
Germany Establishes National Security Council to Boost Crisis Resilience
Germany is set to strengthen its crisis resilience with the establishment of a National Security Council (NSC). The new council, scheduled to be adopted at a cabinet meeting on August 27, aims to enable swift, coordinated, and forward-looking government responses to security threats.
The NSC, chaired by the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will centralize and coordinate security expertise and decision-making at the highest government level. Key federal ministers, including finance, foreign affairs, defense, internal affairs, justice, economics and energy, economic cooperation and development, digitalization and state modernization, and the head of the Federal Chancellery, will be core members.
In times of crisis, the council will coordinate government action and draw up strategies to address emerging threats. It will also replace earlier bodies like the Security Cabinet and Federal Security Council, which had more limited roles primarily focused on arms exports.
The NSC will conduct crisis simulations and security policy exercises to prepare for various scenarios. It will also engage in strategic forecasting and planning, allowing the Chancellor to plan ahead and act decisively under pressure.
The council will coordinate information and analyses from across government to streamline decision-making and crisis management. Depending on the topic, representatives from the federal states, allied states like the EU and NATO, external experts from science, and think tanks may participate in NSC meetings.
The NSC's purpose is to make Germany more capable of acting decisively and cohesively in times of crisis, while still upholding Germany's system of cooperative governance. It signals Germany's intent to take a more active leadership role in foreign and security policy, supported by close coordination with think tanks and allies.
The aim of the NSC is to identify medium- and long-term threats, develop response options, and prepare accordingly, including updating the National Security Strategy. The council's role is to systematically strengthen the state's resilience against crises.
The NSC will work closely with think tanks and science, and maintain constant exchange with the national security councils of allied states. The location of the meeting is the Ministry of Defense. The exact details of the NSC's operations are not specified, but it is clear that the council will focus on strategic foresight and planning to ensure Germany is well-prepared for any future security challenges.
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