Fresh from Kyiv to the Helm: Martin Jäger Takes Over BND Post
German official Martin Jäger, set to assume leadership of the BND (German Federal Intelligence Service) in the near future, hails from Ukraine.
Get ready for some major shakeups in Germany's foreign intelligence agency! According to recent reports, Martin Jäger, the current German ambassador to Ukraine, is poised to become the new boss of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). Jäger's appointment is said to bring significant changes, especially in foreign espionage and technical intelligence operations.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly made his pick for the top of the BND. Jäger, the man of the hour, was previously the German ambassador to Kyiv and has an impressive background in crisis diplomacy, intelligence work, and development aid. Among his previous roles, he served as ambassador to Afghanistan in 2013 and headed the embassy in Baghdad, Iraq from 2021 to 2023. In the past, he also worked in the private sector for several years as a chief lobbyist at Daimler between 2008 and 2013.
However, another key player in the intelligence world is expected to pack his bags for the Vatican. Bruno Kahl, the current BND chief, is rumored to be taking on a new role as German ambassador to the Holy See in Rome. Kahl has been at the helm of the German foreign intelligence agency since 2016, following a career in the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior.
Personnel shifts aren't limited to the BND and the Vatican. Jens Hanefeld, the current ambassador to Ethiopia, is set to take up the position of German representative in the USA, while Thomas Ossowski will become the new chief of the Permanent Representation of Germany to the European Union in Brussels.
Media outlets, including ntv.de and lme, have reported on these changes, but the German government has yet to confirm the personnel matters officially.
- Martin Jäger
- Bruno Kahl
- Intelligence Services
- BND
The Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament are likely to scrutinize the policy-and-legislation implications of the new leadership at the BND, with Martin Jäger taking over from Bruno Kahl. The political landscape of Germany's foreign intelligence operations is set to change significantly, impacting general-news stories across Europe and beyond.
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