One year after its establishment, politicians from both the CDU and the Greens are calling for a strengthening of the National Security Council and have shown willingness to support the appointment of a National Security Advisor.
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter told the “Handelsblatt” that the National Security Council has unfortunately remained a “paper tiger.” He stated that the council is “completely ineffective because the political will to give it impact is missing within the federal government.” According to Kiesewetter, an independent national security advisor would be sensible if the council were developed into a “permanent body free from government influence.”
Greens security policy expert Konstantin von Notz made similar remarks. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt”, he noted that the initial operational challenges faced by the Security Council, following the drone find at Leipzig/Halle Airport, “exposed the council’s current weaknesses without mercy.” Currently, someone coordinates the committee’s work alongside Günter Sautter, who has many other responsibilities. Therefore, the Greens politician believes it would be useful to assign the coordination of the numerous involved parties to a single person who could exclusively focus on the council’s work.
Marc Henrichmann (CDU), chair of the intelligence services oversight committee, offered a less critical assessment but also advocated for strengthening the council. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt”, he said that “much suggests further upgrading of the National Security Council” in light of a potential safety advisor. However, he emphasized that the question of the council’s legal and parliamentary oversight must also be discussed. Regarding the drone discovery, Henrichmann believes it is an inappropriate metric for judging the council’s performance, adding, “Even a institutionally stronger National Security Council does not capture drones from the sky.”
