It’s about an alleged kiss by a soldier, a perhaps somewhat hasty judgment and a minister who is being criticized because of it. Statements and opinions differ about what is said to have happened on September 16th around 10 p.m. in the VIP area of the Merkur Spiel Arena in Düsseldorf. And very far.
It is clear that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has apparently lost his trust in the previous commander of the Bundeswehr’s Internal Command Center, Major General Markus Kurczyk. The two-star air force general sees his reputation ruined, a long military career in ruins – and over.
On Friday, Kurczyk was arrested, according to information from the South German newspaper in Bonn the certificate of temporary retirement issued by the Federal President was handed over – at Pistorius’ request. This was confirmed to the SZ by the ministry. Pistorius had already announced this to him by telephone on October 6th – but the step only now became legally binding.
A kiss on the cheek and two light slaps on the buttocks
A few days ago, Kurczyk decided to change his view of things New Zurich newspaper (NZZ). This is what happened: The Invictus Games, the games for war-disabled soldiers, just came to an end in Düsseldorf with a spectacular closing ceremony. Kurczyk – in uniform – is there with his wife and son and says he is moved by the atmosphere. There were 50 to 60 people in the VIP area, including the military representative Eva Högl (SPD) and several generals. He walked around with his eleven-year-old son and happily greeted acquaintances.
They hugged each other like men hugged each other, reports Kurczyk in the NZZ. He denies that too much alcohol could have been involved that evening. There are also different statements about this. Also present was a first lieutenant whom Kurczyk knows from official work. He also greeted him.
But how, that is now the subject of the ongoing disciplinary proceedings. Based on the statement of the allegedly affected first lieutenant, the military disciplinary attorney for the area of the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr accuses Kurczyk of having ” without his express consent and against his will, a kiss on the cheek and two light slaps on the buttocks as well as another kiss on the cheek in the same place about 20 minutes after the first kiss.
Whether victim protection was violated is also being discussed legally
The general himself vigorously denies this and speaks of an embrace, which he calls “ominous” in view of what followed. It’s statement against statement here, witnesses of the evening must now be questioned. Of course, the commander responsible for the internal leadership of the troops also has a great role model function – he is said to have acted out of touch and intrusive that evening. In principle, it’s about an accusation of sexual harassment that the accused himself cannot understand at all.
But the other side is also going through a lot these days because it is an open secret in the Bundeswehr and elsewhere which soldiers are involved. Whether victim protection was violated is also being discussed legally.
The affair was made public by a press release from the Ministry of Defense on September 23, 2023: “Inspector General Carsten Breuer has today temporarily relieved the commander of the Internal Command Center, Major General Markus Kurczyk, of his duties. The Chief of Staff at the Internal Command Center, Thomas Berger, will take over the duties of the commander in Koblenz until further notice.”
The case is sensitive for the minister
No explanation is given, and Kurczyk’s first name is misspelled. In the first press reports, however, allegations of sexual harassment are quickly mentioned – the Mirror reported that a soldier stated that Kurczyk had tried to “kiss him against his will.” Was something punctured?
Two days after the press release, Pistorius is traveling in the Baltics, in Latvia and Estonia. The case is a whispered topic there, it is also about the not always tension-free relationship with an interest group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex and other-sex members of the Bundeswehr.
The case is sensitive for the minister. Pistorius got off to a strong start in office and became the country’s most popular politician. But recently the problems have increased; instead of the ten billion more he had hoped for, he only got an increase of 1.7 billion euros for the 2024 budget, which has already been completely eaten up by wage increases. Then there was the anger over possible major delays in the billion-dollar project to install digital radio devices in thousands of Bundeswehr vehicles – Pistorius criticized his own shop in clear terms.
The ministry leaves a list of questions unanswered
Now his internal critics suspect that in the current case he is also trying to avert damage to himself by acting energetically because the specific accusation quickly became public. However, Kurczyk has been in the Bundeswehr for 40 years, served in Afghanistan and is a recipient of the Bundeswehr Cross of Honor. “The Defense Ministry has made me a plaything for irresponsible whistleblowers and scandal-seeking editors,” he told the NZZ.
Also the SZ has contacted Kurczyk, but he does not want to say anything else publicly beyond the statements made in the NZZ and the information provided. The ministry leaves a list of questions about Pistorius’ motives unanswered. For legal reasons, a spokesman says “we cannot comment on possible disciplinary investigations and related details.” SZ-Inquiry.
However, according to Section 50 of the Soldiers Act, the Federal President can decide “to place career officers of the ranks mentioned therein into temporary retirement at any time.” This generally happens at the request of the Federal Minister of Defense. This can happen without giving reasons – and has been controversial for decades because it makes generals dependent on the political actors – something that has repeatedly concerned administrative courts.
A new regulation for dealing with sexuality has been in effect since September
Pistorius made it generally clear on Friday during a visit to the Bundeswehr’s leadership academy: “A turning point also means moving forward courageously and showing leadership responsibility.” A new regulation for “dealing with sexuality and sexualized misconduct” has been in force for the Bundeswehr since September – it plays an important role in this case.
“It makes it unmistakably clear that there is no tolerance for sexualized misconduct in the official environment,” says Eva Högl, the military commissioner who was also present in Düsseldorf that evening SZ-Inquiry. She doesn’t see the danger of premature prejudice: “On the contrary: the regulation strengthens superiors’ confidence in their actions and increases sensitivity to sexualized misconduct, which can also have an important, preventative effect.”
The CDU foreign affairs and defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter, on the other hand, emphasizes that when it comes to such allegations it is important to proceed particularly sensitively and discreetly and to clarify them completely “before making a hasty judgment.” A leave of absence until the matter is clarified is a sensible option, but he doesn’t consider an early retirement – without waiting for the clarification – to be a good sign of leadership. The presumption of innocence also applies to such accusations, says Kiesewetter.
False accusations or hasty convictions can mean the destruction of a career in the Bundeswehr. “In addition, a hasty condemnation tends to increase mistrust in the troops and weakens camaraderie,” emphasizes Kiesewetter and, referring to Pistorius, says: “That shows weakness in leadership, not strength.”