Steering the BND: Martin Jäger, Ex-Ambassador to Ukraine, Likely to Lead the German Foreign Intelligence Service
German politician Martin Jäger, currently serving as the Ukrainian ambassador, set to assume leadership role at BND (German Federal Intelligence Service)
Get ready for a shakeup in Germany’s foreign intelligence scene! Ambassador Martin Jäger, currently posted in Kyiv, Ukraine, is tipped to steer the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) following rumors swirling about the change.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly set to appoint Jäger, as the current head honcho at the BND. Germany’s intelligence agency operates directly under the Chancellery, hence, this personnel call lies within the Chancellor’s domain.
Rumors of personnel changes have been circulating for a while, though the German government hasn’t greenlighted the news just yet.
Previously, Jäger has juggled various roles within the German foreign service, including a stint at the Federal Foreign Office and a mission to Afghanistan in 2013 as their ambassador. He then trotted off to Iraq, leading the embassy in Baghdad for two years starting from 2021.
Before finding himself in Ukraine’s capital, Jäger also trailed his steps in the private sector, serving as the chief lobbyist for car manufacture Daimler between 2008 and 2013.
Meanwhile, the outgoing BND chief, Bruno Kahl, is reportedly leaving the ranks for a new role altogether. He’s slated to take on the role of German ambassador to the Vatican in Rome as of Monday. Kahl has helmed the BND since 2016, leaving an impressive trail in various roles at the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Interior Ministry before stepping into leadership.
The shift doesn’t stop there! Key positions within Germany's foreign policy are undergoing personnel changes too. For instance, Jens Hanefeld, the current German ambassador to Ethiopia, is poised to replace the incumbent representative of Germany in the USA. Meanwhile, Thomas Ossowski takes the helm at Permanent Representation of Germany to the European Union in Brussels.
Sources: ntv.de, lme
- Martin Jäger
- Friedrich Merz
- Intelligence Services
- BND
The Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament will likely gather to discuss the upcoming changes in German politics, specifically involving the appointment of Ambassador Martin Jäger as the head of the German Foreign Intelligence Service, the BND. This news comes as Germany's intelligence agency is in the midst of a series of personnel changes, including the shift of current BND chief, Bruno Kahl, to the role of German ambassador to the Vatican.
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