Germany’s top general to lead NATO’s highest military authority - politico.eu
German General Carsten Breuer has been elected as the new chair of NATO's military committee following a secret vote. He will succeed Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone next July, serving a three-year term.
Why it matters
This appointment highlights Germany's growing influence in European defense and the strategic shift toward increased military spending within the alliance.
Carsten Breuer — widely seen as the front-runner — beat out Canada’s Jennie Carignan for the role of NATO military committee chair.
Copy Link Copied Share via email Share on X Share on WhatsApp Share on LinkedIn Free article usually reserved for subscribers Carsten Breuer speaks at an event in Bückeburg, Germany on Oct. 17, 2025. | Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images September 19, 2026 5:33 pm CET By Victor Jack Germany's chief of defense Carsten Breuer will take over as chair of NATO's highest military authority, after a majority of the alliance's top generals backed his candidacy in a secret vote on Saturday.
Breuer, who has led Germany's armed forces since 2023, won the support of at least 17 of NATO's 32 chiefs of defense during a closed-door ballot to become the chair of NATO's military committee in Copenhagen.
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