Key facts
- Germany's Gen. Carsten Breuer and Canada's Gen. Jennie Carignan are the two candidates for the chair of NATO's military committee.
- The election for the new chair will take place on Saturday in Copenhagen.
- The chair of NATO's military committee is the alliance's most senior military authority.
- Germany's Breuer is considered the front-runner, supported by his country's leading defense spending and a recent endorsement from a Pentagon policy chief.
- Canada's Carignan is focusing her campaign on reinvigorating the military committee's role and signaling transatlantic unity.
- The next chair is expected to take over from Italy's Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone next July.
NATO's 32 defense chiefs are set to elect a new chair for the alliance's most senior military body, the Military Committee, on Saturday in Copenhagen. The election is seen as consequential for shaping how the alliance prepares for potential Russian aggression and navigates transatlantic tensions.
The two candidates are Germany's Gen. Carsten Breuer and Canada's Gen. Jennie Carignan. The role of the chair is to provide military advice to allies, assess the feasibility and financing of operations, and oversee working groups to formulate military advice. The position requires gaining the trust of both military and political leadership across the alliance.
Germany's Breuer is considered the front-runner, with support stemming from Germany's status as Europe's leading defense spender and a recent endorsement from Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby for Germany's new military strategy. Breuer's campaign has focused on NATO 3.0, a push for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense, and his existing relationships with counterparts since becoming Germany's chief of defense in 2023.
Canada's Carignan, Ottawa's top general since 2024, has focused on revitalizing the military committee's role and emphasizing transatlantic unity, particularly in light of feuds with US President Donald Trump. Strained bilateral ties between Ottawa and Washington might also present a challenge for her candidacy, according to officials.
The election process is discreet, with a blind ballot. The vote count will cease once a majority of 17 votes is reached, leaving the precise breakdown of votes unknown. Candidates have been lobbying their counterparts through various channels, including letters, face-to-face meetings, and calls to ministries. The next chair is expected to assume the role in July, succeeding Italy's Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.