The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces
Eva Högl, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces (© German Bundestag/Inga Haar)
Dr Eva Högl, born on 6 January 1969, has been the German Bundstag’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces since 25 May 2020. From 2009 until 2020 she was a Member of the German Bundestag, elected directly to represent the constituency of Berlin-Mitte. From 2013 until 2020 she was Deputy Chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group, responsible for internal affairs and legal affairs. Born in Lower Saxony, she studied law at universities in Osnabrück and Leiden in the Netherlands, obtaining a doctorate in European labour and social law in 1997 and passing the second state examination in law in 1999. From 1999 until 2009 she worked in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, most recently as Head of the “European Employment and Social Policy; Officer for European Affairs” Division.
Enshrined in the Basic Law
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces is appointed in line with Article 45b of Germany’s Basic Law to act as an auxiliary organ of the Bundestag in the exercise of parliamentary oversight of the armed forces. Her core tasks also include safeguarding the basic rights of service personnel and the principles of Innere Führung (leadership and civic education). The Commissioner documents her findings on the conditions within the Bundeswehr in an extensive report, presented annually to the German Bundestag.
Ombudsman institution for the armed forces
As both an advocate for service personnel and an auxiliary organ of the Bundestag in the exercise of parliamentary oversight of the armed forces, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces enjoys a special status within the parliamentary system. She is neither a Member of the Bundestag nor a civil servant.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces takes action at her own initiative or upon instructions from the Bundestag or the Defence Committee. In particular, she obtains her information in the course of field visits, whether these are arranged in advance or unannounced, as well as through personal discussions and submissions she receives from within the Bundeswehr.
Each member of the services has the option to contact the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces directly and without going through official channels:
Contact
Die Wehrbeauftragte des Deutschen Bundestages
Dr. Eva Högl
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 227 38 100
wehrbeauftragte@bundestag.de