Following a very unspectacular beginning, the new Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel, has now drawn much attention with his re-staffing numerous top positions in his ministry. It is being largely criticized that Niebel has not taken ample consideration of the ministry's veteran experts and that he has mainly appointed members of his party, the FDP, to these leading positions, including the minister and his state secretaries, as well as seven other top level ministry officials. Niebel's close entourage points out that, since the tenure of the first Minister for Economic Cooperation, Walter Scheel (FDP, 1961 - 1966), his ministry has been run exclusively by members of the CSU and SPD parties, therefore the FDP can lay claim to catching up. But, the reshuffle in the ministry is, in fact, less for partisan reasons than for the accentuation of a political reorientation, allowing long-standing tendencies to clearly become predominant.
A Common Language
This applies particularly to the militarization of the so-called development policy, which has been the cause of civilian aid organizations' protests for years.[1] Shortly after taking office, Niebel announced his intention of having aid organizations cooperate more closely with the Bundeswehr. Now he has appointed a colonel of the reserves to direct a department in the ministry that is also responsible for Afghanistan. From 1988 to 1990 Friedel Eggelmeyer was commander of the 33rd Armored Battalion. He also founded a "circle of friends" of the battalion. As its emblem, the battalion has a palm tree, an emblem very similar to that of the Nazi Wehrmacht's Africa Corps. On various occasions, during his active duty, Eggelmeyer had been delegated to serve in the ministries including as a member of the planning staff of the foreign and defense ministries and is therefore considered to be someone with "good connections". Over the past twelve years, he was the expert for the FDP parliamentary caucus' "security policy". When, in 2008, Niebel, who had served for 8 years in the military, was promoted to the rank of captain in the reserves, it was FDP advisor, Eggelmeyer, who attached his new rank to his uniform. It would be "wise" to "speak a common language" said Niebel at ceremonies of Eggelmeyer's promotion to become head of the department responsible for Afghanistan and the "civilian - military" activities there.[2]
Subversive
Niebel has also appointed a long-time employee of the FDP-affiliated, Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Harald Klein was first the "director of the Regional Office for Latin America" before he transferred to the International Policy Section in the foundation's headquarters in Potsdam, as director of the domestic office, which according to its own description is an "orientation, advisory and service agency for regional offices and regional joint projects abroad." This office also serves for "contacts" to "the sponsors", including the Ministry of Finances.[3] The operations of the numerous foreign offices, until recently directed by Klein, include activities, that are suspected of political subversion, for example the support for the Tibetan exile organizations in Dharamsala, India. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[4]) The foundation's cooperation with the Latin American RELIAL network, which includes organizations working underground to destabilize the Bolivian government,[5] were also within Klein's responsibilities.
Putschists
Klein, in his function as director of the foundation's "Regional Office for Latin America," had helped establish the RELIAL organization, whose activities have provoked protests on various occasions.[6] RELIAL was founded at the initiative of the Naumann Foundation in 2003. In addition, Klein was also involved in the establishment of the foundation's network in Honduras. "An impressive number of the foundation's alumni have important political positions in Honduras, since the last elections," he wrote in a report at the beginning of 2006 from his "Regional Office".[7] Last year, when putschists overthrew the democratically elected president, Naumann Foundation contact persons rose to influential positions, for example, former President of the Central Bank, Gabriela Nunez. After having refused to carry out financial transfers from Venezuela to Honduras, she was dismissed from her functions by elected President Manuel Zelaya, who was later overthrown in the putsch. Nunez has now been appointed finance minister.[8] Klein participated accordingly in the efforts of the foundation to excuse the putschists. He attested that the putschist regime, which had become the object of sharp international criticism for its brutal repressive measures, was making "earnest efforts to take action against human rights violations."[9]
Back to the Roots
Werner Bruns is also among Minister Niebel's newly appointed directors. Bruns is a member of the FDP and has experience in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. He was most recently director of the small business department of the Baden-Wuerttemberg's Ministry of Economy. This has provided him insight and experience that Niebel needs for restructuring his ministry of development. The minister views his job, above all, in the economic sector, (german-foreign-policy.com reported [10]) which was the objective of its founding in 1961 (the "Ministry for Economic Cooperation"). The "and Development" supplement to the name was added only in 1993. Niebel, a former paratrooper in the German military, had served for eight years and now holds the rank of captain of the reserves. The Bundeswehr parts from the premise that concepts of military combat missions always need a civilian component for success. In Afghanistan development aid organizations are being used in this function.[11] Under Niebel's direction, the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, more than ever, will be transformed into a ministry for systematic assistance to German economic and military expansion.
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