Who is Germany’s New Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius?
- He’s viewed as a pragmatic policymaker who gets things done
- Domestic security and battling extremism have been priorities
When US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin travels to Berlin on Jan. 19, he’ll meet for the first time with his new German counterpart, Boris Pistorius. Chancellor Olaf Scholz nominated Pistorius on Tuesday as the successor to Christine Lambrecht, who resigned from her post the day before following a series of missteps.
The 62-year-old Social Democrat is a surprise choice to be the next defense minister. Pistorius has been the interior minister for the state of Lower Saxony since 2013, but up until now has never held a position at the federal level. He’s viewed as a pragmatic, engaged policymaker who gets things done. He’ll take over his new portfolio at a crucial time, as Germany is grappling with upheavals in its global defense and security policies triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine.