Boris Pistorius rejects von der Leyen's defense commissioner idea

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Defense Minister Pistorius at the press conference in Finland: "First of all, a proper council of defense ministers for better coordination of our national efforts"

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Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Ursula von der Leyen has a good chance of remaining head of the EU Commission after the European elections in June.

She has just been named the top candidate of the European People's Party - and is now preparing her agenda for a possible second term in office.

One point in it: Von der Leyen wants to appoint a new EU Commissioner for Defense;

She had already brought the idea into play in February at the Munich Security Conference.

She justified this, among other things, with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the desire for greater EU independence.

None of the countries are likely to deny that the EU states need to become more capable of acting militarily.

But the federal government is skeptical about the fact that this requires a defense commissioner in Brussels.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has now commented on this.

Defense in the EU is “intergovernmental,” said Pistorius at the end of his trip through the Nordic countries in Finland.

"That's why, first and foremost, we need a proper council of defense ministers for better coordination of our national efforts." He could imagine a "commissioner for the arms industry who would pool existing competencies within the EU Commission, but not create any new competencies."

Pistorius spoke at a press conference with his Finnish colleague Antti Häkkänen.

Pistorius has been traveling in Northern Europe since Tuesday.

During his trip through Sweden, Norway and Finland, he also visited German soldiers taking part in the NATO exercise Nordic Response.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit had already addressed the issue of defense commissioner in February and expressed “certain skepticism”.

First of all, the tasks of such a position would have to be clarified.

“If the task description is convincing, then you can address such a question in more detail.”

There are also voices in German politics that advocate for an EU defense commissioner, for example from the Union, but also in the traffic light parties.

It should be clear what the Commission will look like in the future by summer at the latest.

The filling of the Brussels posts will be decided after the European elections from June 6th to 9th.

The EU Commission consists of 27 members; each country sends a representative.

ulz/dpa/AFP