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Boris Pistorius

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Boris Pistorius
MdB
Pistorius in 2025
Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 January 2023
ChancellorOlaf Scholz
Friedrich Merz
Preceded byChristine Lambrecht
Minister for Interior and Sports
of Lower Saxony
In office
19 February 2013 – 18 January 2023
Minister-President
Preceded byUwe Schünemann
Succeeded byDaniela Behrens
Lord Mayor of Osnabrück
In office
7 November 2006 – 19 February 2013
Deputy
  • Burkhard Jasper
  • Karin Jabs-Kiesler
  • Michael Hagedorn
  • Birgit Strangmann
Preceded byHans-Jürgen Fip
Succeeded byWolfgang Griesert
Parliamentary constituencies
Member of the
Landtag of Lower Saxony
for Osnabrück-West
In office
14 November 2017 – 19 January 2023
Preceded byBurkhard Jasper
Succeeded byDaniela Behrens
Member of the
Bundestag for Hanover South
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 March 2025
Preceded byYasmin Fahimi
Personal details
Born
Boris Ludwig Pistorius

(1960-03-14) 14 March 1960 (age 65)
Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Political partySocial Democratic
(1976–present)
Spouse
Sabine Pistorius
​
(died 2015)​
Domestic partners
Children2
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Civil Servant
  • Lawyer
  • Foreign Trade Clerk
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website
Military service
Allegiance Germany
Branch/service Bundeswehr
Years of service1980–1981
Unit German Army (Heer) /
Flugabwehrregiment 11

Boris Ludwig Pistorius (German pronunciation: [ˈbɔʁɪs pɪsˈtoːʁiʊs]; born 14 March 1960) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who has been serving as Federal Minister of Defence in the governments of successive Chancellors Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz since 2023, making him the only minister of the Scholz cabinet to retain his position. He is considered to be amongst the most popular politicians in Germany, receiving significant popular approval ever since his appointment to the Defence Ministry.[2]

Since the 2025 federal election, he is a member of the 21st Bundestag. Earlier in his career, Pistorius was a member of the State Parliament of Lower Saxony, and served as State Minister for Interior and Sports in the state government of Lower Saxony (Cabinet Weil II) from 2013 to 2017.[3] From 2006 to 2013, Pistorius was Lord Mayor of Osnabrück.[4]

Early life and education

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Pistorius was born in Osnabrück, the second son of Ursula Pistorius (née Raabe; 1933–2015) and Ludwig Pistorius (1923–2009).[5] His mother was a member of the Osnabrück city council from 1972 to 1996 and also served as a member of the Landtag of Lower Saxony from 1978 to 1990.[6]

After taking his abitur at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Gymnasium[7] in Osnabrück, he was conscripted to military service in the Bundeswehr in 1980[8] before taking up law studies at the University of Münster and Osnabrück University, and also, for a brief period, at the Catholic University of the West.[9]

Early career

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Pistorius worked as the personal advisor to State Minister for Interior of Lower Saxony Gerhard Glogowski in government led by Minister-President Gerhard Schröder from 1991 to 1995, and was the deputy head of his office from 1995 to 1996.[9]

Political career

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Career in local politics

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Pistorius joined the SPD in 1976.[10]

Pistorius was part of the city council from 1996 until 2013 and from 1999 to 2002 he served as second mayor of Osnabrück.[11]

Pistorius served as Mayor of Osnabrück,[4] starting his mayoral term on 7 November 2006 winning with 55.5% against Wolfgang Griesert[12] who would later go on to become the Mayor after Pistorius's resignation due to his position at the Lower Saxony government in 2013.[13]

State Minister of the Interior and Sports (2013–2022)

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After the Lower Saxony state elections in 2013, Pistorius was sworn in as State Minister of the Interior and Sports at the constituent session of the 17th State Parliament of Lower Saxony on 19 February 2013.

From 2013 to 2017, Pistorius was one of the state's representatives on the German Bundesrat; from 2017, he was an alternate member.[14] In this capacity, he was a member of the German-Russian Friendship Group set up in cooperation with the Russian Federation Council. He was also an alternate member of the German delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where he was part of the Political Committee, its Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships and its Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations.[15]

During his time in office in state government, Pistorius was widely seen as standing out in his state for his tough stance[16] on Islamist radicalism, terror threats, organized crime and far-right extremism.[17]

Role in national politics

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Main article: 2019 Social Democratic Party of Germany leadership election

In the negotiations to form a fourth coalition government under Chancellor Angela Merkel's leadership following the 2017 federal elections, Pistorius was part of the working group on internal and legal affairs, led by Thomas de Maizière, Stephan Mayer and Heiko Maas.

In the 2019 SPD leadership election, Pistorius was a candidate for the position as the party's co-chair, together with Saxony State Minister Petra Köpping.[18][19] Köpping and Pistorius came in fifth place, receiving only 14.41% of the vote.

In the negotiations to form a so-called traffic light coalition of the SPD, the Green Party and the Free Democrats (FDP) following the 2021 German elections, Pistorius led his party's delegation in the working group on migration and integration; the co-chairs from the other parties were Luise Amtsberg and Joachim Stamp.[20]

Federal Minister of Defence (2023–present)

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On 17 January 2023, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Pistorius would succeed Christine Lambrecht, who resigned on 16 January after numerous political blunders, as Minister of Defence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet.[21][22] This came as a surprise to many political observers, with SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil and Bundestag Armed Forces Commissioner Eva Högl being floated most often as replacements.[23] The appointment was criticized,[24] as it would mean breaking the gender parity Scholz had promised upon the cabinet's formation.[25] A plausible explanation is that, in the acute European military crisis – many people, including people in the Bundeswehr – thought it irresponsible to again appoint somebody without any military experience,[26] and to instead appoint based on competency rather than gender.

He was retained by Friedrich Merz following the formation of his cabinet following the 2025 federal election.[27][28]

  • Pistorius with US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann in 2023
    Pistorius with US Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann in 2023
  • Pistorius and then-US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Berlin, Germany, 19 January 2023
    Pistorius and then-US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Berlin, Germany, 19 January 2023
  • Pistorius with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Brussels, Belgium, February 2025
    Pistorius with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Brussels, Belgium, February 2025

Pistorius was formally appointed by German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and eventually took the oath of office at the Bundestag on 19 January 2023.

During his first year in office, Pistorius announced military aid worth €2.7 billion (US$3.0 billion) to Ukraine both in May 2023[29] and €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) in October 2023.[30]

In March 2023, Pistorius participated in the first joint cabinet meeting of the governments of Germany and Japan in Tokyo, chaired by Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In October 2023, he joined the first joint cabinet retreat of the German and French governments in Hamburg, chaired by Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron.[31][32]

In July 2024, Christian Lindner warned Boris Pistorius that no additional funds would be provided for military modernization beyond what the coalition government had already agreed upon. This followed a budget decision that left Pistorius, responsible for revitalizing Germany's defenses amid increased security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, feeling disappointed. Lindner defended the funding arrangement, highlighting a special 100-billion-euro fund that had been made available to Pistorius for military upgrades, a resource unprecedented for previous defense ministers, and urged efficient use of these resources.[33] This budgetary restraint came as the IMF noted that Germany's low public infrastructure investment was affecting its economic growth, despite having the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.[34]

Under Pistorius' leadership, Germany joined the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea in August 2024, becoming the 18th nation to do so.[35] Also in August 2024, Pistorius and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro committed to establishing long-term relations between their armed forces to expand training and bilateral exchanges, explore opportunities to expand bilateral armaments cooperation and engage in joint projects.[36]

In July 2024, the United States announced its intention to deploy long-range missiles in Germany beginning in 2026.[37] US weapons in Germany would include SM-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons.[38] The United States' decision to deploy missiles in Germany has been compared to the deployment of Pershing II launchers in Western Europe in the 1980s.[39][38] The decision was supported by Boris Pistorius and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Critics say the move would trigger a new arms race.[40] According to Russian military analysts, it would be extremely difficult to distinguish between a conventionally armed missile and a missile carrying a nuclear warhead, and Russia could respond by deploying longer-range nuclear systems targeting Germany.[41]

Polling conducted in 2024 found Pistorius to be the most popular politician in Germany. He declined to be the SPD's Chancellor-candidate in the 2025 election.[42]

Other activities

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Corporate boards

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Non-profit organizations

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  • Munich Security Conference, Member of the Advisory Council (since 2023)[45]
  • Business Forum of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Member of the Political Advisory Board (since 2020)[46]
  • Robert Enke Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2017)[47]
  • Aloys & Brigitte Coppenrath Foundation, Member of the Board[48]

Political positions

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In 2018, Pistorius suggested that sanctions against Russia should be reviewed.[49] In 2021, he demanded that Germany order the messaging program Telegram removed from Apple Inc.'s and Google's app stores if it continues to ignore requests to help track down extremist content.[50][full citation needed] Amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pistorius condemned what he has called Russia's "brutal attacks" on Ukraine.[51] In May 2022, he said that Russian sympathizers must not glorify Russia's war against Ukraine on German streets.[51] In October 2023, following the outbreak of the Gaza war, Pistorius expressed full support for Israel. He told Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant that "whatever we can do to support you, with material support, we will do this."[52] In January 2024, he warned that Russia could attack NATO in 5 to 8 years.[53] In April 2024, Pistorius compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler and urged Europe to prepare for a full-scale war with Russia, saying that "Putin will not stop once the war against Ukraine is over."[54]

Personal life

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Pistorius has two daughters with his wife Sabine, who died in 2015 due to cancer.[55][56] He was in a relationship with Doris Schröder-Köpf from 2016 until spring 2022.[57] He has been in a relationship with Julia Schwanholz, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen, since 2022.[58]

Awards and honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Schröder-Köpf und Minister Pistorius sind ein Paar" (in German). Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Jeager, Sophie (5 February 2025). "Das sind Deutschlands beliebteste Politiker" [These are Germany's most popular politicians]. Bild. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  3. ^ "Innenminister Boris Pistorius". Niedersachsen (in German). Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Die ehemaligen Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Osnabrück" [The former mayors of the city of Osnabrück]. Osnabrück (in German). Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Traueranzeigen von Ludwig Pistorius" [Obituaries of Ludwig Pistorius]. Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  6. ^ Schmidt, Ulrike. "Zum Tod der Osnabrücker Politikerin Ursula Pistorius" [On the death of Osnabrück politician Ursula Pistorius] (in German). Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Minister Pistorius diskutiert mit Osnabrücker Schülern" [Minister Pistorius discusses with Osnabrück students] (in German). Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  8. ^ Hansen, Holger. "Germany names new defence minister, faces pressure to send tanks to Ukraine". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Lebenslauf". Boris Pistorius (in German). Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Boris Pistorius". SPD-Landtagsfraktion Niedersachsen (in German). Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Innenminister Boris Pistorius Lebenslauf". Niedersachsen (in German). Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Vorläufiges Ergebnis der Stichwahl zur Direktwahl der Oberbürgermeisterin / des Oberbürgermeisters in der Stadt Osnabrück" [Preliminary result of the runoff election for the direct election of the mayor in the city of Osnabrück]. Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Statistik (in German). Archived from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  13. ^ Remmers, Bernhard. "Osnabrück sucht den OB-Kandidaten" [Osnabrück is searching for the mayoral candidate] (in German). Hannoversche Allgemeine. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Boris Pistorius". Bundesrat (in German). Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  15. ^ "NATO PA". NATO PA. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  16. ^ Hansen, Holger. "Germany names new defence minister, faces pressure to send tanks to Ukraine". U.S. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  17. ^ Pancevski, Bojan. "Little-Known Politician to Become German Defense Minister Amid Mounting Challenges". WSJ. Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  18. ^ Hickmann, Christoph; Medick, Veit; Teevs, Christian (29 August 2019). "SPD: Petra Köpping und Boris Pistorius fordern eine große Steuerreform". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Factbox: Aspiring leaders of Germany's Social Democrats". U.S. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  20. ^ Lakämper, Britt-Marie. "SPD, Grüne, FDP: Diese Politiker verhandeln die Ampel" (in German). Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  21. ^ Connolly, Kate (17 January 2023). "Germany's no-nonsense new defence minister faces early test over Ukraine". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023.
  22. ^ Christoph Hickmann, Veit Medick, Christian Teevs (17 January 2023). "Boris Pistorius wird neuer Verteidigungsminister" [Boris Pistorius becomes new Defence Minister]. Der Spiegel (in German). Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Lambrecht tritt zurück: Kandidaten für die Nachfolge – Übersicht" [Lambrecht resigns: Candidates for the succession – Overview]. www.wp.de (in German). 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Keine Parität im Kabinett: SPD-Frauen sprachlos" (in German). 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Scholz' Kabinett - „Diese Parität sollte Normalität sein"". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  26. ^ Weimer, Wolfram (1 February 2022). "Person der Woche Lambrecht: Ministerin der 5000 Helme" [Person of the week Lambrecht: Minister of the 5,000 helmets]. NTV. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022.
  27. ^ Marsh, Sarah; Rinke, Andreas (5 May 2025). "Merz vows to reform Germany as his full cabinet unveiled". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  28. ^ "Das Regierungsteam der SPD für die 21. Legislaturperiode" (PDF). SPD-Parteivorstand (in German). 5 May 2025. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  29. ^ "Germany unveils 2.7 bln euro military package to Ukraine, biggest yet". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 February 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  30. ^ "Germany announces new defense aid for Ukraine worth $1.1 bln". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  31. ^ "Germany, France hold unprecedented cabinet retreat to oil creaky EU motor". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  32. ^ "Deutsch-französische Kabinettsklausur 2023 | Bundesregierung". Die Bundesregierung informiert | Startseite (in German). 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  33. ^ ""Neuer Wehrdienst": Fragebogen und Auswahl der Besten" ["New Military Service": Questionnaire and selection of the best] (in German). Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  34. ^ "German defence minister told not to expect additional budget boost". Reuters. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Germany joins US-led UN Command in South Korea policing armistice border". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  36. ^ Karen Lema (4 August 2024). "Philippines, Germany commit to reaching defence pact this year". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024.
  37. ^ "A new arms race in Europe? US long-range weapons in Germany". Deutsche Welle. 13 July 2024. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024.
  38. ^ a b "Putin warns US against deploying long-range missiles in Germany". The Guardian. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024.
  39. ^ "Russia says US missiles in Germany signal return of Cold War". Al Jazeera. 11 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Germany split on US stationing long-range cruise missiles". Deutsche Welle. 11 July 2024. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Thanks to Putin, the U.S. will again place long-range missiles in Germany". The Hill. 12 July 2024. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024.
  42. ^ Busvine, Douglas (21 November 2024). "Popular Pistorius makes way for struggling Scholz to launch German reelection bid". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  43. ^ noz.de (24 March 2011). "Osnabrücker Oberbürgermeister Boris Pistorius zum". noz.de (in German). Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  44. ^ "Gremien". NSKS (in German). Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  45. ^ "Advisory Council". Munich Security Conference. Archived from the original on 7 September 2024.
  46. ^ "Bernd Westphal und Anke Rehlinger koordinieren neu konstituierten Politischen Beirat des SPD-Wirtschaftsforums - Wirtschaftsforum der SPD e.V." Wirtschaftsforum der SPD e.V. (in German). Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  47. ^ Stiftung, Robert Enke. "Kuratorium - Die Robert-Enke-Stiftung". robert-enke-stiftung.de (in German). Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  48. ^ "Aloys und Brigitte Coppenrath Stiftung | Osnabrück". Aloys & Brigitte Coppenrath Stiftung (in German). Archived from the original on 18 March 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  49. ^ "Boris Pistorius wants to review sanctions against Russia (Boris Pistorius will Sanktionen gegen Russland prüfen)". Die Zeit (in German). Hamburg. 26 May 2018. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  50. ^ "Politician says Germany should ban Telegram unless it tackles extremist content". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  51. ^ a b Hansen, Holger. "Germany names new defence minister, faces pressure to send tanks to Ukraine". U.S. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  52. ^ "Defence minister pledges Germany's full support to Israel". Reuters. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023.
  53. ^ "Putin could attack NATO in '5 to 8 years,' German defense minister warns". Politico. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024.
  54. ^ "German Defense Chief Compares Putin to Hitler at Churchill Event". Bloomberg. 11 April 2024. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024.
  55. ^ "Innenminister Pistorius trauert um seine Frau" [Interior Minister Pistorius mourns his wife] (in German). Bild. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  56. ^ "Traueranzeige von Sabine Pistorius, geb. Heß" [Obituary of Sabine Pistorius, née Heß]. Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). 2 September 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  57. ^ "Trennung von Boris Pistorius: Doris Schröder-Köpf ist wieder Single" [Separation from Boris Pistorius: Doris Schröder-Köpf is single again]. n-tv.de (in German). 9 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  58. ^ "Sie ist die Neue an Boris Pistorius' Seite" [She is the new woman by Boris Pistorius' side] (in German). 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  59. ^ "ENTIDADES ESTRANGEIRAS AGRACIADAS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS - Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas" [Interior Minister Pistorius mourns the loss of his wife] (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  60. ^ "Innenminister Pistorius mit Schlesierschild beim Deutschlandtreffen der Schlesier 2019 in Hannover ausgezeichnet" [Interior Minister Pistorius was awarded the Silesian Shield at the 2019 Germany meeting of the Silesians in Hanover] (in German). Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Inneres und Sport. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
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