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Home , Alexander Kulitz, Alexander Radwan, Andreas Nick, Anton Friesen, Christoph Matschie, Dagmar Freitag

The Committee on Foreign Affairs 2 “’s growing international responsibility is reflected in the public’s increasing interest in foreign affairs – and that is a good thing, for our country can only live up to this responsibility in future with the public’s support. The Bundes- tag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs has an important part to play in this context. Its role in critically scrutinising the Federal Govern- ment’s foreign policy includes the task of giving the public a voice in the – usually – confidential process of decision-making on foreign pol- icy and ensuring that the public’s questions and concerns are heard.”

Dr Norbert Röttgen, CDU/CSU Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

3 The German ’s decisions are prepared by its committees, which are estab- lished at the start of each elec- toral term. Four of them are stipulated by the Basic , the German constitution: the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Defence Committee, the Committee on the Affairs of the and the Petitions Committee. The Budget Committee and the Committee for the Rules of Procedure are also required by law. The spheres of respon- sibility of the committees essentially reflect the Federal Government’s distribution of ministerial portfolios. This enables Parliament to scruti- nise the government’s work effectively.

The Bundestag committees The German Bundestag sets political priorities of its own by establishing additional committees for specific sub- jects, such as sport, cultural affairs or tourism. In addition, special bodies such as parlia- mentary advisory councils, The committees discuss and committees of inquiry or deliberate on items referred study commissions can also to them by the plenary. They be established. The commit- also have the right to take up tees are composed of mem- issues on their own initiative, bers of all the parliamentary allowing them to set priorities groups, reflecting the balance in the parliamentary debate. of these groups in the German When necessary, they draw Bundestag. The distribution on external expertise – usu- of the chairs and deputy ally by holding public hear- chairs among the parliamen- ings. At the end of a commit- tary groups also reflects their tee’s deliberations, a majority relative strengths in the ple- of its members adopt a recom- nary. In the current electoral mendation for a decision and term, the committees have a report, which serve as the between nine and 49 mem- basis for the plenary’s deci- bers. sion.

5 Fields of work, competences and tasks

Foreign policy is traditionally the preserve of the Federal Government, but the Bundes- tag’s influence in this area is growing. In practice, the Com- mittee on Foreign Affairs is responsible for this policy field within the Bundestag. It ranks among Parliament’s largest committees and is one of just four committees whose establishment is required by the Basic Law. Its 45 members, chaired by Norbert Röttgen (CDU/CSU), discuss sensitive matters of foreign policy – and so the Committee’s meet- ings take place behind closed doors.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs The parliamentarians request briefings from the Federal Government on foreign-policy issues and set out their views in debates. The Committee’s agenda generally reflects world political affairs from a German perspective. The work of the Committee is influence on world politics, determined both by the funda- and the situation in Afghani- mentals of German foreign stan and other areas where policy, such as cooperation the is deployed. within the European Union, As a rule, the Committee’s dis- relations with Germany’s cussions are objective rather European neighbours, the than confrontational, with the transatlantic partnership and aim of reaching a consensus. Germany’s special relation- When it comes to cross-cut- ship with , and by cur- ting issues such as the work rent developments, such as of the United Nations, disar- the situation in the Middle mament policy, crisis preven- East, relations with Russia tion and conflict management, against the background of the and cultural and education conflict in eastern Ukraine policy abroad, the Committee and regarding the Crimean on Foreign Affairs has set up peninsula, China's growing special subcommittees.

16 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ CDU/CSU 10 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SPD 6 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ AfD 5 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FDP 4 ■ ■ ■ ■ Party 4 ■ ■ ■ ■ /The Greens

Number of members: 45 Chairman: Dr Norbert Röttgen, CDU/CSU Deputy Chairwoman: Dr , SPD

7 Taking the right decisions on foreign-policy issues requires a wealth of detailed knowledge. Complex matters The Bundestag’s role in foreign have to be analysed and policy has been bolstered sig- assessed in the Committee’s nificantly by decisions of the deliberations. The Members Federal Constitutional Court. of the Bundestag specialising For example, the Court has in foreign affairs often have ruled that the Bundeswehr’s to deal simultaneously and at deployment on armed mis- short notice with sometimes sions outside Germany may widely differing problems and not be decided by the Federal events, as international devel- Government alone; instead, opments do not abide by the such decisions require demo- Bundestag’s calendar of sit- cratic legitimacy in the form tings. As a result, the Commit- of the Bundestag’s consent. tee has a heavy workload and The Committee on Foreign works under tremendous time Affairs takes the lead when it pressure. Obtaining and ana- comes to preparing decisions lysing information – includ- of this kind, and to date the ing confidential information – Bundestag’s plenary has not in good time is a prerequisite deviated from its recommen- for the success of the Commit- dation in a single case. tee’s work.

8 The members draw on a wide range of information sources in their work. While written documents are essential, they are no substitute for directly sharing information and exchanging views in talks and discussions. Where necessary, the Committee on Foreign Affairs or its subcommittees – including heads of organise public hearings with state and government. The external experts on complex Committee also maintains issues. The parliamentarians close contacts with parlia- travel abroad to form their mentarians worldwide; it own first-hand impression of engages in a regular dialogue current events and develop- with its counterpart commit- ments, and make a wide range tees in the French, Polish of contacts which can be help- and Israeli parliaments. ful not just in the Committee’s Members of Parliament have work, but also in advancing a key advantage on the inter- German interests across the national stage: they are not world. In turn, a large number bound by diplomatic niceties of often high-level figures and can send messages more from around the world are discreetly – or more forth- keen to meet with the Com- rightly – than is often possible mittee on Foreign Affairs in in official diplomacy.

9 As a member of the United The subcommittees of the Nations and many other inter- Committee on Foreign Affairs national organisations and groups, such as the World The diverse nature of foreign Trade Organization (WTO) policy is reflected in the and the G7 and G20 groups remits of the four subcommit- of leading economic powers, tees set up by the Committee Germany can influence the on Foreign Affairs, each of process of shaping an interna- which has nine members. tional order based on common The members of the Subcom- rules. The Subcommittee on mittee on Disarmament, Arms the United Nations, Interna- Control and Non-Proliferation, tional Organisations and chaired by Matthias Höhn Globalisation, chaired by (The Left Party), discuss cur- (FDP), follows rent developments and long- the work of these organisa- running issues such as inter- tions and groups and German national efforts to control the policies in the relevant bodies global arms trade, the prolifer- and institutions, including ation of small arms in crisis the UN Security Council, of regions or the role of disarma- which Germany is a member ment and arms control as in 2019 and 2020. The spec- elements of a global security trum of topics dealt with by architecture. The negotiations the Subcommittee is accord- to strengthen the international ingly wide, stretching from non-proliferation regime and the UN’s role in dealing with on arms control in Europe are international crises to the also on this subcommittee’s future of the world trade sys- agenda. tem.

10 nations, is becoming increas- ingly important and is, as the “third pillar” of foreign policy, a regular subject on the agenda of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. For this rea- son, the Subcommittee on (Alliance Cultural and Education Policy 90/The Greens) chairs the Abroad has once again been Subcommittee on Civilian established, with Thomas Crisis Prevention, Conflict Erndl (CDU/CSU) currently Management and Integrated serving as acting chairman. Action. This Subcommittee This Subcommittee requests helps to ensure that civilian regular briefings from the crisis prevention is integrated Federal Government about into foreign policy in practice. cultural and education work Its work is guided by the carried out abroad. Its mem- belief that conflict prevention, bers focus in particular on conflict management and examining and supporting the post-conflict peace-building work of the intermediary can only succeed in the 21st organisations commissioned century if military and civil- by the Federal Government. ian measures are integrated. These include, for example, This includes, for example, the Goethe Institute, the mediation between the parties German Academic Exchange to a conflict, disarmament Service (DAAD), ifa (Institut programmes, support for für Auslandsbeziehungen), democracy, and assistance in German schools abroad, judicial, administrative and the Alexander von Humboldt police capacity-building. Foundation, the German Cultural and education policy Archaeological Institute (DAI), abroad, as a means of promot- and a wide range of other ing understanding between organisations and foundations.

11 12 13 Dr Norbert Röttgen, Dr Daniela De Ridder, CDU/CSU SPD Chairman Deputy Chairwoman Lawyer, Business adviser, b. 2 July 1965 b. 27 Nov. 1962 in Meckenheim; in Kiel; married; married; three children. two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 1994 since 2013

Committee members The 45 members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

14 Markus Grübel, CDU/CSU Federal Government Commissioner for Global Freedom of Religion, , , former Parliamentary CDU/CSU CDU/CSU State Secretary, Lawyer, Electrical engineer, retired notary, b. 25 Dec. 1970 b. 22 July 1974 b. 15 Oct. 1959 in Ratingen; in Osterhofen; in Esslingen am Neckar; two children. married; three children. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2009 since 2017 since 2002

Roderich Kiesewetter, Jürgen Hardt, CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU spokesman , CDU/CSU spokesman on the Committee CDU/CSU on foreign affairs Business administrator, Electrical engineer, Economist, b. 11 Sep. 1963 b. 3 July 1955 b. 30 May 1963 in Pfullendorf in ; in Hofheim am Taunus; (Sigmaringen county); married; four children. married; one child. married; two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 1994 since 2009 since 2009

15 , , Nikolas Löbel, CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Environmental Political scientist, Business administrator, consultant, b. 5 Dec. 1977 b. 17 May 1986 b. 11 Feb. 1958 in ; in Mannheim; in Düsseldorf; unmarried. unmarried. married; three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 2017 since 2018

Dr , , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Business administrator, , Former State Secretary Master of International CDU/CSU at Land level, Public Policy, Lawyer, b. 13 Oct. 1952 b. 26 Apr. 1967 b. 24 Dec. 1959 in Lübeck; in Koblenz-Moselweiß; in Düsseldorf; married; three children. married; one child. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 2013 since 2002

16 , Christian , , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Lawyer, engineer, Lawyer, Business administrator, b. 30 Aug. 1964 b. 26 Aug. 1957 b. 2 Mar. 1966 in ; in Obernzenn; in Berlin; unmarried. married; two children. married; two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 1990 since 2009

Josip Juratovic, Dr Barbara Hendricks, SPD SPD Car mechanic, , Former Federal b. 15 Jan. 1959 SPD Minister, in Koprivnica, Teacher, b. 29 Apr. 1952 Croatia; b. 3 Mar. 1953 in Kleve; married; in Letmathe. married. three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 1994 since 1994 since 2005

17 , , SPD SPD Dr Bärbel Kofler, Theologian, mechanic, Employee, SPD b. 15 July 1961 b. 25 May 1964 Linguist, in Mühlhausen; in Düren; b. 24 May 1967 three children. married; two children. in Freilassing. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member from 1990 to 2004 from 1998 to 2005 since 2004 and since 2017 and since 2009

Thomas Oppermann, Dr , Aydan Özoğuz, SPD SPD SPD Lawyer, SPD spokesman on the Philologist, b. 27 Apr. 1954 Committee b. 31 May 1967 in Freckenhorst, Lawyer, in ; Warendorf county; b. 11 July 1973 in Trier; married; one child. four children. married; two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2009 since 2005 since 2017

18 , AfD AfD spokesman on the Dr , Armin-Paulus Hampel, Committee AfD AfD Political scientist, Research assistant, Journalist, b. 30 Nov. 1972 b. 15 June 1985 b. 23 July 1957 in Olmütz; in Uspenska, in Bielefeld; married; two children. Kazakhstan; unmarried. married; four children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017 since 2017

Waldemar Herdt, Dr , AfD Paul Viktor Podolay, AfD Agricultural specialist, AfD Lawyer, b. 28 Nov. 1962 Medical technician, b. 22 Sep. 1954 in Zabelovka, b. 30 May 1946 in Berlin; Kazakhstan; in Preßburg; divorced; five children. married; four children. married; two children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017 since 2017

19 Bijan Djir-Sarai, FDP , FDP spokesman on the FDP Committee Chemical engineer, Business administrator, b. 27 Aug. 1965 b. 6 June 1976 in Skalica; in , . married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member from 2009 to 2013 since 2017 and since 2017

Alexander Kulitz, Ulrich Lechte, Frank Müller-Rosentritt, FDP FDP FDP Entrepreneur, lawyer, Business administrator, Business administrator, b. 12 Aug. 1981 b. 26 Aug. 1977 b. 13 June 1982 in Tübingen; in Sinsheim; in Chemnitz; unmarried; one child. unmarried. married; three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017 since 2017

20 Sevim Dağdelen, The Left Party Journalist, b. 4 Sep. 1975 in Duisburg; unmarried. Bundestag Member since 2005

Heike Hänsel, , The Left Party The Left Party Specialist in nutritional The Left Party spokes- , science and home man on the Committee The Left Party , Business administrator, Executive, b. 1 Jan. 1966 b. 30 Dec. 1972 b. 29 Sep. 1963 in Stuttgart; in ; in Munich; unmarried. divorced. married; one child. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2005 since 2009 since 2009

21 , Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens spokesman on the Committee Self-employed adviser, b. 18 June 1975 in Tehran, Iran; married; one child. Bundestag Member since 2006

Manuel Sarrazin, Jürgen Trittin, Alliance 90/The Greens Dr , Alliance 90/The Greens Historian, Alliance 90/The Greens Social scientist, b. 6 Feb. 1982 Social scientist, b. 25 July 1954 in ; b. 17 Apr. 1953 in ; two children. in . married; one child. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2008 since 2009 since 1998

22 23 Information online

The Committee on Foreign Affairs www.bundestag.de/en/committees/a03

The Federal Foreign Office www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en

The EU http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

The UN www.un.org

NATO www.nato.int

The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) www.swp-berlin.org/en

The German Council on Foreign Relations https://dgap.org/en

24 Contact details for the Committee Secretariat

Deutscher Bundestag Auswärtiger Ausschuss Platz der Republik 1 11011 Berlin Tel.: +49 30 227-32416, -35075 Fax: +49 30 227-36131, -36728 Email: [email protected]

25 Published by: German Bundestag, Public Relations Division Coordination: Robert Schönbrodt Texts: Rauer; revised by: Committees Directorate (p. 4 – 5), Secretariat of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (p. 6 – 25) Edited by: Marianne Wollenweber Translated by: Language Service of the German Bundestag, in cooperation with Emma Hardie Design: Marc Mendelson Bundestag eagle: Created by Professor Ludwig Gies, revised in 2008 by büro uebele Photos: p. 2 Deutscher Bundestag (DBT) / Linus Lintner Fotografie; p. 8, 9, 10–11, 12–13, 23 DBT / Marco Urban; p. 27 DBT / studio kohlmeier Portrait photos: p. 3, 14 DBT / Thomas Köhler / photothek (Norbert Röttgen); p. 14 DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Daniela De Ridder); p. 15 DBT / Julia Nowak (Peter Beyer); Petra Homeier (Thomas Erndl); Markus Grübel / Thomas Auerbach (Markus Grübel); Ralf Kothe (Manfred Grund); Katja-Julia Fischer (Jürgen Hardt); DBT / Stella von Saldern (); p. 16 Laurence Chaperon (Markus Koob); DBT / Julia Nowak (Nikolas Löbel); Laurence Chaperon (Gisela Manderla); DBT / ​Julia Nowak (Elisabeth Motschmann); Jan Kopetzky (Andreas Nick); Tom Peschel (Michaela Noll); p. 17 DBT / Inga Haar (Alexander Radwan); CSU BWK Fürth / Thomas Lother (Christian Schmidt); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Frank Steffel); Die Hoffotografen GmbH Berlin (Dagmar Freitag); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Barbara Hendricks); DBT / Achim Melde (); p. 18 SPD-Parteivorstand / Susie Knoll (Bärbel Kofler); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Christoph Matschie); DBT / Julia Nowak (Dietmar Nietan); SPD-Parteivorstand / Susie Knoll (Aydan Özoğuz); SPD-Parteivor- stand / Susie Knoll (); DBT / Achim Melde (Nils Schmid); p. 19 DBT /Achim Melde (Petr Bystron); DBT / Inga Haar (Anton Friesen); DBT / Julia Nowak (Armin-Paulus Hampel); DBT / Julia Nowak (Roland Hartwig); DBT / Achim Melde (); DBT / Julia Nowak (Paul Viktor Podolay); p. 20 Stephanie Trenz (Renata Alt); Bijan Djir-Sarai / Darius Bialojan, Fotodesign (Bijan Djir-Sarai); DBT / Thomas Köhler / photothek (); Ulrich Lechte / Petra Homeier (Ulrich Lechte); Frank Müller-Rosentritt / Volker Beyer (Frank Müller-Rosentritt); p. 21 Omür Mermer (Sevim Dağdelen); Alexander Gonschior (Heike Hänsel); Stefan Liebich / Ben Gross (Stefan Liebich); Uwe Warda (Kathrin Vogler); p. 22 DBT / Julia Nowak (Omid Nouripour); Stefan Kaminski (); Frithjof Schmidt / Stefan Kaminski (Frithjof Schmidt); Laurence Chaperon (Jürgen Trittin) Graphic: p. 7 Marc Mendelson Printed by: Druckhaus Waiblingen Remstal-Bote GmbH As at: January 2019 © Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin All rights reserved. This publication has been produced as part of the German Bundestag’s public relations activities. It is provided free of charge and is not intended for sale. It may not be used for election campaign purposes or utilised by parties or parliamentary groups in their own public relations activities. 27 The German Bundestag takes decisions on what are at times highly complex and controversial bills and parliamentary initiatives relating to the entire spectrum of policy fields. The committees play a central role in parliamentary deliberations. They are the forum where the Members thrash out compromises and draw on expert advice before submitting their reports and recommen­dations for decisions to be voted on by the Bundestag as a whole. www.bundestag.de/en/committees