Germany elects the new intelligence service chief, BND)

German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jäger will be the new chief of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, known for acronym BND. This was decided by the Federal Cabinet, according to information received from government sources and provided by Zeit OnlineFollow Periscope.

The 60-year-old diplomat, Jäger, follows Bruno Kahl. Kahl has led BND since 2016. Jäger has extensive experience as ambassador to crisis regions, such as Baghdad (2013 to 2014) and Kabul (2021 to 2023). He's been Ambassador to Kiev since 2023.

Jäger also worked in various ministries, and, among other roles, served as press spokesman for then Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (The Green Party).

Jäger's predecessor, Kahl, will now become Germany's representative at the Holy See in Rome. He had long wanted to move to the Vatican.

Jäger was born in Ulm and studied ethnology and politics in Munich before joining the Foreign Service. He began his career in Bonn at the Federal Foreign Ministry before becoming a consultant at the Chancellor and, in 2002, consultant at the Embassy in Prague.

From 2005 to 2008, he served as the spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Ministry, and in 2013 he moved to Daimler AG as Director of Foreign Relations.