Justice
Jens Rommel is to become the new Federal Prosecutor General
Jens Rommel is to become the new Federal Prosecutor General (archive photo). photo
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
With Peter Frank’s move to the Federal Constitutional Court, the executive chair in the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is vacant. Now there is clarity about the successor in Germany’s highest prosecutor’s office.
“After Peter Frank, we once again need an outstanding personality at the head of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. Jens Rommel is the right person for this important task,” said Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP), according to the statement. He is therefore recommending him as Federal Prosecutor General. The Federal Council must agree to the proposal. The Federal Prosecutor General is appointed by the Federal President.
Jens Rommel has been a judge at the Federal Court of Justice since 2020. From 2015 to 2020 he also headed the central office of the state judicial administration for solving National Socialist crimes in Ludwigsburg. “Whether in the prosecution of Nazi crimes or in the criminal fight against terrorism: Jens Rommel has proven that he has all the qualities and skills that make an excellent Federal Prosecutor General – personal integrity, professional competence, commitment, leadership and passion for our constitutional state and our free order,” said Buschmann.
Buschmann: “One of the most important offices in our constitutional state”
In the new role, Rommel heads the Federal Prosecutor’s Office as the highest prosecution authority in Germany. According to Buschmann, it is “one of the most important offices that exists in our constitutional state.” The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for outstanding proceedings in areas such as terrorism, espionage and international criminal law. The authority, headquartered in Karlsruhe, employs around 300 people. As the federal public prosecutor’s office, it reports to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Islamist terrorism in particular has been of concern to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for some time. Several hundred investigations were initiated in this regard last year alone.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is increasingly taking on cases involving so-called Reich citizens. Frank’s predecessor in office justified this by saying that supporters of the scene were increasingly violent and also used firearms. This was followed by the spectacular raid in December 2022, in which 25 suspects around the entrepreneur Henry XIII were identified in several countries. Prince Reuss was arrested who allegedly wanted to overthrow the political system. It was one of the largest police operations against extremists in the history of the Federal Republic.
After some internal debates, the CDU and CSU agreed a few weeks ago on Frank as the successor to constitutional judge Peter Müller. Shortly before Christmas, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appointed the 55-year-old as Müller’s successor at Germany’s highest court – also based in Karlsruhe. During the vacancy, the permanent representative of the Federal Prosecutor General, Lars Otte, is responsible for business.