Verteidigung: General Carsten Breuer übernimmt Vorsitz des Nato-Militärausschusses

In Germany, General Carsten Breuer will assume the presidency of the NATO Military Committee next year. During the NATO committee's meeting in Copenhagen, the 61-year-old was elected to replace the Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone. Breuer beat his rival, Canadian Chief of Staff Jennie Carignan, in the race for the position.

The German government had nominated Breuer for the NATO post unusually early in February 2026, assuming the candidacy would be uncontested. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) aimed to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe, which led to the expectation of a certain level of leadership within NATO. Typically, the appointment of such top positions is agreed upon beforehand before a nomination is made public.

However, in May, Canada sent its Chief of Staff Carignan as the alternative candidate. If she had won, she would have been the first woman to lead the Military Committee. Canada has been increasingly assertive in its security and defense policies in recent years. Prime Minister Mark Carney referred to the erosion of the rule-based world order during a highly watched speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.

With major powers potentially doing as they please, "middle powers" like Canada have only a chance if they come together and prioritize their own security.