Trouble in the Ministry of Defense: Staff council mutinies against Boris Pistorius

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Defense Minister Pistorius: In a dispute with the staff council

Photo: Christian Charisius / dpa

There is an anecdote that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius particularly liked to tell last year. When he took office in January 2023, he took a look at the organizational chart of his company - and was confused: lines that led to nowhere, boxes with no real connection to one another. No clear responsibilities, no direct reporting lines. Pistorius said he immediately recognized that something was wrong. The minister made the renovation of the house one of his priorities.

But now that Pistorius is putting his plans into action, the SPD politician is attracting the displeasure of many of his employees.

The General Staff Council (GPR) of the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) flatly rejects the restructuring of the ministry developed by Pistorius and his inner circle. “It is important for us to inform you and the employees that the GPR does not support the decisions to reorganize the ministry,” says a letter from the employee representatives dated January 30th; it is available to SPIEGEL. “In addition, we are also noticing considerable unrest and dissatisfaction among the members of the BMVg,” writes the chairman of the staff council, Michael Richter.

Mistrust in your own home

He complains that the staff council's objections were ignored and there was no opportunity for a personal exchange with Pistorius. The committee was “surprised” to find that the reorganization of the house had been completed without the staff council being able to sufficiently participate. This “reduces any form of constructive cooperation in this matter to absurdity,” criticizes Richter.

For Pistorius, who earned a reputation as a doer in his first year in office, the distrust from within his own ranks is a setback. In polls he may be the most popular politician in the country. In his own house, however, he is met with dissatisfaction.

The minister informed the civil servants and military officers in his house in a letter on Monday about details of the restructuring of the ministry. "My goal was and is an agile and effective ministry that is capable of leading and acting in any situation," said Pistorius in the letter, which was available to SPIEGEL. He promises “tighter and clearer structures and thus the framework for courageous, well-coordinated and quick decisions.” The new organizational structure has been in effect since February 1st - although it was already planned for January 1st.

The minister had already presented the idea for the reform at the Bundeswehr conference in Berlin in November. Previously, a small team, made up exclusively of the minister's confidants, had devised proposals for streamlining the confusing apparatus of around 3,000 civil servants and soldiers in the Bendler Block.

What the team came up with doesn't turn the house upside down. Pistorius does not intend any fundamental restructuring; rather, the result is a cautious structural reform. Around 300 positions from the ministry are to be relocated to the so-called subordinate area, i.e. to various sub-authorities within the department. From now on there should be a maximum of three subdivisions per department. Although the ministry will become a little smaller, there will be no real streamlining. But even this cautious restructuring calls the staff council into action.

What is striking is that Pistorius greatly increased the area of ​​responsibility of his State Secretary Nils Hilmer. The long-time state minister from the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior brought it with him. Hilmer takes over armaments policy from Armaments State Secretary Benedikt Zimmer. The subject area is particularly important in the defense department - especially now that the Bundeswehr's special funds are to be used to modernize the troops. Hilmer will also be responsible for the strategically designed political department. The 43-year-old now heads a total of five departments.

Pistorius' sharp counterattack

For a long time, Pistorius and his confidants treated the reform ideas like a state secret. The concept papers were passed from hand to hand in the ministry - nothing was supposed to leak out. The staff council intervened shortly after it was presented last autumn. The workforce representatives did not feel sufficiently involved in the process. Even several meetings with State Secretary Hilmer did not ease the situation, although Hilmer repeatedly promised that the changes would be regulated in a socially acceptable manner.

Now the minister feels compelled to defend himself. Pistorius promptly countered the staff council's incendiary letter with a no less sharp letter. This is also available to SPIEGEL, dated January 31st.

He wanted to "make it clear once again that, in my view, changes are necessary to improve the company's ability to work and that these changes must also quickly lead to the establishment of a new organization," writes Pistorius. According to his descriptions, the staff council was “continuously” informed about the plans. The minister emphasizes that it is “not an option” to further postpone the changes and announces a quick date for a personal conversation.

At Easter time, Pistorius would like to present his plans for further personnel reform, then it will be the armed forces' turn. If he wants to implement his plans, he is dependent on the support or at least the cooperation of the workforce. Their representatives now seem determined to stand up to the minister.

Pistorius is now getting to know the perseverance of his apparatus.