Berlin – Concerns raised by the Left party regarding the establishment of a National Security Council and its potential impact on parliamentary oversight of the Bundeswehr have been dismissed by the German government.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Steffen Meyer addressed the anxieties during a press briefing in Berlin, stating that the assertion the move would transform the Bundeswehr from a parliamentary army into one directly controlled by the Chancellery is unfounded. “I do not share this concern at all” he affirmed.
Meyer clarified that the primary objective of the National Security Council is to consolidate existing structures and to enhance the professional execution of national security policy, promoting a more streamlined and coordinated approach. He also emphasized the importance of improved communication and collaboration across relevant agencies.
Acknowledging the intention to strengthen capabilities such as strategic foresight, Meyer firmly guaranteed that the Bundestag will retain final authority over deployments of the Bundeswehr abroad.
These comments follow warnings from Ulrich Thoden, the Left party’s spokesperson on defense policy, who expressed concern that the creation of the council represents an attempt by Chancellor Friedrich Merz to centralize all security policy decisions within the Chancellery. Thoden argued the National Security Council would concentrate more power in the executive branch while diminishing transparency and democratic control. He reiterated the importance of parliamentary oversight, stating, “The Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army – it must not be turned into a Chancellor’s army”.