The question underlying this proposal is whether Germany needs a centralized security council at all, or whether its federal, departmental system simply needs better coordination. The coalition agreement answered in favour of centralization — but the comparative evidence from other countries is more ambiguous than the proposal assumes.

The proposal to establish a National Security Council (Nationaler Sicherheitsrat) in Germany is a central element of the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, presented on April 9, 2025. This initiative aims to transform the existing Federal Security Council (Bundessicherheitsrat) into a more comprehensive body within the Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt), which currently focuses primarily on approving arms exports, into a more comprehensive body responsible for coordinating Germany’s integrated security policies.

The coalition agreement states:

“We will develop the Federal Security Council, within the framework of the departmental principle, into a National Security Council in the Federal Chancellery. It shall coordinate key issues of integrated security policy, conduct strategy development and strategic foresight, perform joint situation assessments, and thus serve as the body for joint political decision-making.”

In addition to the National Security Council, the coalition agreement outlines the creation of a National Crisis Staff (Nationaler Krisenstab) to manage acute crises through coordinated efforts between federal and state authorities, and a National Situation Centre (Nationales Lagezentrum) within the Federal Chancellery to compile comprehensive security assessments by integrating information from various ministries. The Crisis Staff is intended to manage acute crises through coordinated efforts between federal and state authorities, while the Situation Centre will compile comprehensive security assessments by integrating information from various ministries.

These reforms form part of a broader strategy to strengthen Germany’s security architecture amid increasingly complex global threats. The coalition agreement underscores the need for swift implementation, although no precise timeline has yet been provided for the establishment of the proposed institutions.

The National Security Council, to be integrated into the Federal Chancellery, is designed to ensure strategic coordination across ministries. Its mandate includes the development of long-term security strategies, strategic foresight, and joint assessments of international and domestic threats. Crucially, by detaching it from any single ministry, the initiative aims to foster a more cohesive and overarching approach to national security. Centralizing these functions within the Chancellery is intended to improve responsiveness and coherence in crisis management.

The drive for reform is rooted in recent geopolitical developments—most notably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—which have exposed the limitations of Germany’s current security apparatus. Through the modernization of existing structures and the introduction of new strategic bodies, the government seeks to enhance its ability to anticipate, assess, and respond to emerging risks in a timely and coordinated manner.

Germany presently has more than 100 security institutions, a proliferation that results in overlaps, redundancies, and fragmented operations. Information-sharing is often unreliable, and institutional actors tend to operate in isolation. This siloed approach inhibits timely communication and coordination from the outset. Meanwhile, new threats continue to emerge—relentlessly and unpredictably—much like falling blocks in Tetris, yet without the capacity to align responses into a coherent, preventive framework. Unlike the game, no “complete line” eliminates the problems; nor is there a foundation for proactive planning.

The proposed NSR would serve multiple key functions:

Delivering a comprehensive, gap-free situational picture.
Coordinating and managing crisis situations.
Issuing strategic recommendations.
Developing medium- and long-term security strategies, including a national security strategy.
Integrating a broader range of information sources, including previously untapped ones.
Providing a stronger empirical and analytical basis for strategic decisions.
Expanding the scope of strategic analysis to better anticipate future challenges.
Serving as a platform for the continuous formulation and updating of national security strategy.
Reducing the likelihood of errors and minimizing the element of surprise.
Acting as a central point of contact for international cooperation and coordination with other national security councils.

In essence, the NSR is envisioned as the remedy to Germany’s institutional fragmentation and strategic disarray. By introducing a centralized and coherent structure for analysis, planning, and crisis management, it promises to significantly enhance the country’s capacity to respond to current and future threats with greater foresight and efficiency.

The “Moritz Model” is a conceptual framework proposed by Christina Moritz, a German security policy expert, advocating for the establishment of a National Security Council (NSC) in Germany. This model addresses the current fragmentation within Germany’s security architecture, characterized by over 100 separate institutions operating with limited coordination. The Moritz Model suggests consolidating these efforts into a centralized body within the Federal Chancellery, aiming to enhance strategic foresight, streamline crisis management, and improve inter-agency communication. Key functions of this proposed NSC include comprehensive situation analysis, development of long-term security strategies, and serving as a central point for international cooperation.

These examples illustrate the effectiveness of centralized security councils in enhancing national security coordination and strategic planning. The adoption of a similar model in Germany, as proposed by the Moritz Model, could address existing inefficiencies and bolster the country’s ability to respond to contemporary security challenges.

National Security Councils of Major Global Powers

United States

Legal Basis: Established by the National Security Act of 1947 (now codified at 50 U.S.C. §3021) as a statutory body within the Executive Office of the President. The Act created the NSC to formalize interagency coordination on national security, originally including the President, Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, and other necessary officials.
Composition: Chaired by the President (who can designate a chair in absence), with statutory members including the Vice President, Secretaries of State, Defense, Energy, and Treasury . The President’s National Security Advisor and other senior officials (like the Director of National Intelligence, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA Director, etc.) attend as advisers . This mix of cabinet officials and advisers ensures all instruments of national power are represented.
Strategic Coordination Role: The NSC is the President’s principal forum for integrating domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security. It coordinates interagency efforts without wielding operational authority, ensuring the Armed Forces and civilian departments work together effectively on security matters. Through regular meetings and subordinate interagency committees, the NSC develops unified national security strategies and crisis responses.
Key Responsibilities: By law, the NSC advises the President on formulating national security policy and strategy, assesses threats and opportunities (reviewing U.S. objectives and risks in light of military power), and recommends policies to harmonize agency efforts. It leads in developing long-term strategic plans and conducts joint reviews (e.g. drafting National Security Strategies) for presidential decision-making, while monitoring implementation through the National Security Advisor and staff.

United Kingdom

Legal Basis: The UK’s National Security Council (NSC) was created in 2010 by administrative action of the Prime Minister, with no specific statutory basis. It exists as a Cabinet Committee under the Prime Minister’s prerogative powers, not established by legislation (the UK’s uncodified constitution allows such bodies to be formed without a law).
Composition: Chaired by the Prime Minister, it brings together senior Cabinet ministers with portfolios related to security and foreign affairs. Permanent members include the Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs, Treasury (Chancellor), and other key departments (e.g. Energy or International Development). The National Security Adviser (a senior official in the Cabinet Office) and relevant top officials attend to support the NSC. The NSC is supported by a National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, ensuring decisions are prepared and implemented across government.
Strategic Coordination Role: The NSC was formed to create a single high-level forum for collective decision-making on national security, countering the prior siloed approach. It oversees all aspects of Britain’s security strategy, from defense to diplomacy to domestic security. By convening the key ministers, it ensures a “whole-of-government” perspective, aligning departments on strategic priorities and coordinating responses to security threats (ranging from terrorism to state threats and emergencies).
Key Responsibilities: The UK NSC guides the development of national security strategy – for example, it commissioned the 2010 and 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) as its first tasks. It serves an advisory role to the Prime Minister: major security decisions (military commitments, crisis responses) are discussed in NSC meetings, whose recommendations carry great weight in final Cabinet decisions. The NSC also regularly reviews intelligence assessments and risk evaluations, fosters strategic foresight through its sub-committees (like those on threats, resilience, and nuclear deterrence), and ensures that departmental efforts (foreign policy, defense, development, homeland security) are integrated into a coherent national security policy.

France

Legal Basis: France’s Conseil de Défense et de Sécurité Nationale (CDSN) is rooted in the Constitution and expanded by decree. Article 15 of the 1958 Constitution makes the President Commander-in-Chief and provides that he presides over higher defense councils. A presidential decree of December 2009 broadened the council’s mandate and renamed it the Defence and National Security Council, to cover not only military defense but also internal security, economic and energy security, and crisis response.
Composition: Presided over weekly by the President of the Republic, it is essentially a select restricted Council of Ministers focused on security. In plenary form it includes the Prime Minister, Minister for the Armed Forces (Defense), Minister of the Interior, Minister of Economy and Finance (and the Minister for Public Accounts), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other ministers or top officials relevant to the agenda. The President can invite additional experts or military/security chiefs (e.g. intelligence heads, or the Armed Forces Chief of Staff) as needed. Proceedings are supported by the Secretary General for Defence and National Security (SGDSN), which prepares briefing materials and ensures follow-up. All participants are bound by defense secrecy due to the sensitive matters discussed.
Strategic Coordination Role: The CDSN is the central coordinator of France’s national security and defense policy at the highest level. It enables the President and key ministers to craft integrated security strategies by bridging external defense and internal security issues. Since 2016 it convenes on a weekly basis (stepping up from a periodic schedule) to address ongoing terrorism threats and other urgent risks. By operating as a streamlined inner cabinet, it ensures unified strategic direction on matters ranging from military operations and nuclear deterrence to counterterrorism and civil emergency preparedness. Specialized formations of the Council focus on specific domains – for instance, the National Intelligence Council (President, PM, relevant ministers plus intelligence agency heads) and the Nuclear Armaments Council (President, PM, Armed Forces Minister, top military officials) address intelligence strategy and nuclear policy, respectively.
Key Responsibilities: The Defence and National Security Council defines France’s strategic orientations in defense and security. Its remit includes approving military programming guidelines, authorizing major external operations and deployments, overseeing nuclear deterrence posture, and steering intelligence strategy. In addition, it addresses domestic security issues (e.g. counterterrorism, cyber or pandemic crises) and can activate crisis response measures. The Council provides a forum for joint strategic assessments and decision-making, allowing political leaders to weigh intelligence, diplomatic, and military options collectively. Decisions and policies formulated in the CDSN (for example, France’s national security strategy documents or responses to immediate crises) are implemented through interministerial coordination, with the SGDSN ensuring that actions across government follow the President’s directives.

Russia

Legal Basis: The Security Council of the Russian Federation (Sovet Bezopasnosti or “SB”) is established by the Russian Constitution and presidential decrees as a consultative body under the President. The 1993 Constitution (Article 83) empowers the President to form the Security Council, and a 2011 Presidential Decree formally defines it as a “constitutional deliberative body” to draft decisions on national security and defense policy. Thus, while not a legislative branch institution, it derives authority from the presidency and constitutional recognition.
Composition: Chaired by the President (currently Vladimir Putin), it includes permanent members ex officio – typically the key power ministers and officials. These usually encompass the Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, the heads of security agencies, and the Prime Minister, among others. The President appoints additional members as he deems fit, and can include top military officers or regional representatives. A Secretary of the Security Council (since 2008, Nikolai Patrushev) is appointed by the President to run the Council’s day-to-day affairs. The Secretary manages the SB’s Staff and heads interagency commissions on specific security topics (e.g. military security, ecological security, etc.). This structure resembles a powerful national security advisory council centered in the Presidential Administration.
Strategic Coordination Role: The Security Council is the central coordinating forum for Russia’s national security policy, spanning defense, foreign policy, internal security, and beyond. It reviews strategic issues and major policy initiatives, functioning as a high-level venue to forge consensus among Russia’s power elite. While it does not exercise direct operational control over ministries, it serves to synchronize the work of various agencies and develop unified stances on security challenges. In practice, President Putin uses the Security Council meetings (plenary or smaller sessions) to hear viewpoints and solidify decisions on matters like military doctrine, national security strategies, and responses to crises. The SB’s influence is bolstered by the President’s trust in its long-time Secretary and members, making it a key instrument for strategic planning and coordination in the Russian system.
Key Responsibilities: The Russian Security Council’s mandated responsibilities include drafting Russia’s National Security Strategy, formulating defense and security policy proposals, and advising the President on mobilizing resources against threats. It conducts strategic assessments of risks to Russia’s security (ranging from military threats to cyber and economic security) and oversees the development of policies to address them. It also coordinates interdepartmental efforts on issues like counterterrorism, information security, and foreign military cooperation. Major national security decisions (e.g. approving security doctrines, declaring states of emergency, or significant foreign policy moves) are often prepared within the Security Council before the President’s final approval. In sum, the Council prepares and harmonizes national security decisions at the highest level, acting as both a strategic planning body and an emergency crisis council when needed – though its decisions are advisory to the President, who holds ultimate authority.

China

Legal Basis: China’s national security policymaking is centered in the Chinese Communist Party. In 2013, Party General Secretary Xi Jinping established the Central National Security Commission (CNSC) as a Party organ at the highest level. This was endorsed during the Third Plenum of the 18th CCP Congress, and subsequently the 2015 National Security Law acknowledged and reinforced the CNSC’s role. Because it is a Party commission (not a state institution under the constitution), its authority flows from Party statutes and Xi’s leadership mandate rather than a public law, exemplifying how China’s “national security council” is a Communist Party-centric body.
Composition: Chaired by Xi Jinping (who as CCP General Secretary and State President leads the Commission), it includes top CCP Politburo members. The Vice-Chairs of the CNSC are members of the Politburo Standing Committee – for example, as of 2023, Premier Li Qiang, and senior leaders Zhao Leji and Cai Qi serve as deputy heads. Full membership is not publicly listed, but is understood to comprise key officials across the Party, government, and military (likely including ministers of Foreign Affairs, State Security, Public Security, the Central Military Commission leadership, and others in charge of security portfolios). The CNSC is supported by an office (secretariat) that gathers information and handles day-to-day work, and Xi has also appointed a National Security Adviser/Chief (often a Politburo member) to manage the Commission’s operations.
Strategic Coordination Role: The CNSC is intended to provide unified strategic direction and coordination for China’s expansive view of national security. Xi Jinping introduced a doctrine of “Holistic National Security” (overall security) covering not just traditional defense but also political, economic, cyber, technological, cultural, and environmental security. The Commission sits atop a new hierarchy that centralizes security policymaking, breaking down silos between agencies. It coordinates the work of the Party, government ministries, the military, and even civil society in addressing security challenges. Regular CNSC meetings (first convened in 2014) allow China’s top leadership to deliberate on major national security issues – ensuring that domestic security, foreign policy, economic security, and military strategy are all aligned under the Party’s objectives. In essence, the CNSC serves as China’s version of an NSC, but firmly under CCP control, enabling Xi to centralize security decision-making and respond to crises with an all-of-nation approach.
Key Responsibilities: The Party’s National Security Commission has a broad mandate. Its core tasks are advising the Politburo on national security strategy, coordinating strategy implementation across different parts of the system, and handling crisis management. It develops China’s top-level national security strategies and policies (for example, input into the National Security Strategy documents and internal guidelines), and monitors their execution by relevant organs. The CNSC facilitates joint threat assessments – multiple departments regularly submit reports to the Commission, which in turn promotes information-sharing among military, intelligence, diplomatic, and economic agencies. In a crisis (say a major security incident or international conflict), the CNSC can convene to direct a unified response and marshal resources at the highest level. Importantly, the CNSC does not replace existing bodies like the Central Military Commission; rather, it overarches them to ensure cohesion in security policy, with Xi Jinping able to issue authoritative directives through the Commission structure.

Germany

Legal Basis: Germany does not have a U.S.-style NSC, but its closest equivalent is the Federal Security Council (Bundessicherheitsrat, BSR), a cabinet committee established by executive practice (not by a single founding statute). The BSR’s existence is grounded in cabinet rules and a 1950s arrangement, with specific legal tasks defined in export control laws (for arms export decisions). Proposals have been made to formalize or expand it, but as of 2025 no law has turned the BSR into a full-fledged National Security Council.
Composition: The Federal Security Council is chaired by the Federal Chancellor and typically includes a small set of senior federal ministers . Its nine permanent members are the Chancellor, the Head of the Federal Chancellery, and the ministers for Foreign Affairs, Interior (Justice is sometimes noted in lieu of Interior in some sources), Defense, Finance/Economy, and Economic Cooperation & Development . (In practice, the exact roster may vary slightly; for example, the Minister of the Interior and Justice Minister roles have at times both been involved.) This high-level membership reflects the areas of government relevant to security and defense policy. The BSR meets in confidential closed sessions and is supported by ministerial staff but has no large dedicated secretariat.
Strategic Coordination Role: Currently, the BSR’s primary role is focused on defense procurement and arms export control, rather than broad strategic policy coordination. It serves as the forum where top leaders review and authorize sensitive arms exports and defense contracts, ensuring that such decisions align with Germany’s foreign policy and security interests. While it has the potential to coordinate wider security policy, in practice Germany handles national security strategy through inter-ministerial coordination and the Federal Chancellery’s foreign and security advisors. There is an ongoing debate in Germany about upgrading this council into a comprehensive National Security Council that would regularly integrate foreign, defense, development, and economic security policies. Such an upgrade, proponents argue, would improve joint strategic planning and crisis response – but concerns about maintaining the constitutional balance between chancellery and ministries have so far prevented it.
Key Responsibilities: Besides its niche in arms export decisions, the Federal Security Council does discuss other high-level security matters on an ad hoc basis. It has authority to make or vet decisions on critical national security issues that require tight confidentiality or swift action (e.g. intelligence matters or military deployments, though these usually involve the full Cabinet or Bundestag oversight as required). Strategic foresight and long-term strategy development in Germany are handled through white papers (such as the 2016 White Paper on Security Policy) and, most recently, the 2023 National Security Strategy, which was coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and Chancellery rather than by a single NSC-like body. However, the BSR remains an important political decision-making forum for security when interdepartmental consensus is needed at the highest level, and any move to strengthen Germany’s national security architecture would likely build on or transform the BSR.