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Germany appoints ex-Scholz adviser Jens Plötner to fast-track Bundeswehr armaments

Critics warn his past Russia policy role clashes with the government’s drive for a tougher defense posture

Jens Plötner soll im Sommer seinen neuen Job antreten
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Der außenpolitische Chefberater des früheren Bundeskanzlers Olaf Scholz (SPD), Jens Plötner, soll künftig im Verteidigungsministerium die Aufrüstung der Bundeswehr vorantreiben.

Overview

  • Boris Pistorius named Jens Plötner State Secretary for Armaments and Innovation on June 4 to accelerate weapons procurement and deepen European defense projects
  • A newly created third State Secretary post has been filled by Jan Stöß to handle rising workloads from shifting security demands
  • Plötner arrives from his role as Olaf Scholz’s foreign policy adviser, bringing diplomatic networks but drawing scrutiny for limited defense procurement experience
  • FDP’s Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann labeled the move a “fatal signal” over Plötner’s perceived leniency toward Moscow and criticized the sidelining of CDU’s Roderich Kiesewetter from the Parliamentary Control Committee
  • Recent constitutional changes loosening debt-brake limits have already driven record-high procurement volumes for the Bundeswehr