German general defeats Canada's Jennie Carignan for NATO military committee chair

Gen. Carsten Breuer of Germany was elected Saturday to chair NATO's Military Committee, the alliance's top military position, in a secret ballot among defence chiefs from the 32 member nations.

Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan lost the election. Had Carignan won, she would have been the first woman to lead the Military Committee in its 77-year history. Carignan, who became Canada's first female Chief of the Defence Staff in summer 2024, issued a statement saying it was "an honour to stand as a candidate" and that she "deeply value[s] the close relationship" with Breuer.

The Military Committee chair serves as NATO's senior military spokesperson and chief advisor to the NATO secretary general. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the outgoing chair, announced Breuer's election on social media, noting his "operational judgement, your deep familiarity with this alliance and your leadership of the German Armed Forces."

Breuer brings NATO headquarters experience and has served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe. He has been instrumental in pushing Germany's historic modernization and rearmament program and is a leading voice for raising NATO support following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to Politico, Breuer made multiple trips to NATO capitals—including Albania, North Macedonia, the U.S., Slovenia, Latvia and Estonia—over the past two months to make his case.

The last Canadian to hold the position was Gen. Ray Henault, who served from 2005 to 2008. Defence Minister Bill McGuinty supported Carignan's campaign by writing letters to ministers in different NATO countries and told reporters Sept. 18 that she "worked hard on campaign and reached out to her counterparts in all NATO alliance member countries." McGuinty said the federal government does not know the vote breakdown.