National Security Council (Germany)

National Security Council (German: Nationaler Sicherheitsrat) is a committee of the German Bundeskabinett with the task to make better use of information on security issues collected by various agencies of the German government and to prepare decisions on security related matters. The National Security Council will also take over responsibilities in the field of arms export controls from the Federal Security Council.^[1] The National Security Council was created in August 2025.^[2] The creation of the council was a major campaign pledge by Friedrich Merz in the run up to the general election of February 2025. It is also a reaction to the perception that decision making within Germany's foreign and defense policy institutions is often sluggish and suffers from a lack of coordination between relevant ministries and agencies.^[3]

Current composition

Office	Name
Member
Chancellor		Friedrich Merz (Chairman)
Minister of Finance Vice Chancellor		Lars Klingbeil (Vice Chairman)
Minister of Foreign Affairs		Johann Wadephul
Minister of the Interior		Alexander Dobrindt
Minister of Defense		Boris Pistorius
Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy		Katherina Reiche
Minister of Justice		Stefanie Hubig
Minister of Digitalization and Modernization		Karsten Wildberger
Minister of International Development		Reem Alabali-Radovan
Minister of the Chancellery		Thorsten Frei
Permanent guests
Press Secretary		Stefan Kornelius
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr		General Carsten Breuer
President of the Federal Intelligence Service		Martin Jäger
President of the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution		Sinan Selen
President of the Military Counterintelligence Service		Martina Rosenberg
President of the Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation		Holger Münch
President of the Federal Police		Dieter Romann