Chancellor at the Bundeswehr: Merz: Do not accept security as a given

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) warned of a false feeling of security in Germany and asked for more defense efforts. During a visit to the Bundeswehr’s operational management command in Schwielowsee, he referred to the ongoing Russian attack war against Ukraine. “So we must not accept our security as a given. We have to do more that we can live in freedom, in peace and safe.”

Merz visited the operational leadership command near Potsdam on the Bundeswehr Day, in which the armed forces present themselves at ten locations. Last year, the Bundeswehr according to its own statements counted 230,000 visitors. Merz thanked the soldiers for their service and emphasized: “I want the value of the work of the soldiers to be seen and recognized in our country.”

White rose to commemorate fallen soldiers

The Chancellor also looked at the forest of memory. There, the names of all 119 soldiers killed in foreign missions are recorded on concrete steles. Merz put down a white rose and remained in silence for a moment.

Leadership command as an operational heart of the Bundeswehr

The operational management command is responsible for surgical planning, leadership and evaluation for all four sub -forces, i.e. army, air force, marine and the group for cyber and information space. It has the operational management for the missions abroad. And it is the central contact for national authorities as well as for NATO and friendly forces.

The operational leadership command is directly subject to General Inspecter Carsten Breuer, who welcomed Merz on arrival. From the commander of the Management Command, Alexander Sollfrank, the Chancellor received instruction in his tasks and the security policy situation.

The management command “does planning and leadership from a single source, with impressive professionalism,” said Merz. “The operational heart of the Bundeswehr, the troops beat here.”