Intelligence Brief: German Spy Agency BND Gets New Chief, Senior Diplomat Martin Jäger
Ujasusi Blog’s Europe Monitoring Desk | 08 September 2025 | 0030 BST
Germany has appointed senior diplomat Martin Jäger as the new head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), effective 15 September 2025. The move ends Bruno Kahl's nine-year tenure and marks a pivot towards diplomacy-informed intelligence leadership.
Jäger, 61, is currently Germany's ambassador to Ukraine and has previously served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and in the federal development ministry.
The appointment was confirmed by the German government as part of a broader personnel reshuffle under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Jäger's leadership is expected to reinforce strategic coordination between Germany's three main security agencies: the BND, BfV (domestic intelligence), and MAD (military counterintelligence).