Relations with the African continent
Bartels has in the past voted in favor of German participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions as well as in United Nations-mandated European Union peacekeeping missions on the African continent,such as in Somalia –both Operation Atalanta (2010,2011,2013 and 2014) and EUTM Somalia (2015) –,Darfur/Sudan (2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 and 2014),South Sudan (2011,2012,2013 and 2014),Mali –both EUTM Mali (2014 and 2015) and MINUSMA (2013 and 2014) –,and the Central African Republic (2014). In 2013,he abstained from the votes on extending the mandate for participation in EUTM Somalia and EUTM Mali,and he voted against the participation in Operation Atalanta in 2012.
In 2020,Bartels complained about the poor data situation on right-wing extremism in the troops and called it “curious”that he,as the military commissioner,was the only one who could give figures on the phenomenon. He saw the MAD as having a duty because the Bundeswehr had to notice when “enemies of the constitution invaded”. [3] A one-time re-election of Bartels after five years would have been possible,but the SPD parliamentary group decided against him,as its chairman Rolf Mützenich announced at the end of April 2020 without giving any reasons. [4] Bartel's wife Gaschke then left the SPD. Eva Högl was elected as military representative on May 7,2020. [5] [6]
