German defense commissioner Henning Otte, a member of the CDU, urges the Bundestag to give alliance and national defense a much clearer priority. He points out that German forces are currently stretched across 17 overseas deployments on three continents, with more than 2,000 soldiers engaged abroad. “We must concentrate on the core task” Otte said in POLITICO’s Berlin Playbook podcast. “That task is alliance and national defense, so the force must not be over‑extended”.
Otte suggests a reassessment of several existing mandates, including the mission in South Sudan. “We may need to rethink how we can maintain a strategic presence without having to train the home militia on the spot” he added. He stresses that any decision should be a careful weighing-not an automatic response.
The commissioner’s comments also touch on the recent extension of the German troop presence in Iraq, which the Bundestag approved only last week. Otte noted that Iranian developments now have prompted a withdrawal of German soldiers. “I’m not criticizing the Bundestag’s decision” he said, “but it forces us to question whether that mission can actually be carried out”.
In discussing the new conscription law, Otte warned of a looming time pressure. “The law has been passed, but the necessary recruitment infrastructure is only now being set up” he explained. He said the structures for enrolling new conscripts still need to be created. “[If] by the end of 2026 it becomes clear that the growth required to build the core force is inadequate, we will have to revisit the debate” Otte cautioned.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Otte called for restraint in making promises. “Germany will definitely contribute to peace, but an overly hasty pledge-especially one with concrete figures-would release other nations from their own commitments” he remarked.
Finally, Otte pressed for a comprehensive civil defence plan alongside the military operations plan. After speaking with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the CSU, he urged that total defence be treated as a state‑wide responsibility.
