German Intelligence Agency to Appoint New Head, Report Suggests
The German Federal Intelligence Service, known as the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), is poised to welcome a new leader, according to a report by the German news magazine Der Spiegel. Martin Jäger, the current German ambassador to Kiev, is reportedly set to take the reins as the new BND president.
The change at the top of the German foreign intelligence agency is the result of a decision by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has the authority to select the BND’s president due to the agency’s direct subordination to the Chancellery. The current BND president, Bruno Kahl, is expected to step down and take on a new role as German ambassador to the Vatican, a position he has long desired.
Martin Jäger, a seasoned crisis diplomat with the German Foreign Office, is set to lead the BND in the coming years, bringing with him a wealth of experience in international diplomacy. The agency can expect a significant increase in funding, as well as greater flexibility in its espionage and technical surveillance operations, under the new leadership.
Jäger has a long history of service with the German Foreign Office, having had numerous interactions with the BND during his tenure as ambassador in crisis-stricken Afghanistan and Iraq and most recently as ambassador to Ukraine since 2023.