Canada's Top General Loses Bid for Key NATO Leadership Role
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Gen. Jennie Carignan was defeated in a secret ballot for the chair of the NATO Military Committee, a position no Canadian has held in nearly 20 years.
As CBC News first reported, Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada's chief of the defence staff, has been defeated in an election for the next chair of the NATO Military Committee. The role serves as the alliance's top military authority and a primary advisory body for political leaders.
In a secret ballot election held Saturday, military commanders from NATO's 32 member nations selected Gen. Carsten Breuer, the German counterpart to Carignan, as the new chair. The result was announced via social media by the current chair, Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, who noted that Breuer's leadership of the German Armed Forces and operational judgment would benefit the alliance. Breuer is scheduled to take office in July 2027.
Carignan would have become the first woman to ever lead the Military Committee in the alliance's 77-year history had she won. CBC News reports that the last Canadian to hold the post was retired general Ray Henault, who served from 2005 to 2008.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Defence Minister David McGuinty stated that the federal government is proud of Carignan's candidacy and that she continues to make an important contribution alongside the other 31 chiefs of defence. McGuinty noted that the government does not know the specific breakdown of the votes.
Prior to the election, Steven Saideman, a defence expert at Carleton University, told CBC News that U.S. President Donald Trump could have been a roadblock to Carignan's appointment, particularly following Prime Minister Mark Carney's formal intent to strengthen ties between Canada and the European Union.