Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro takes office as commander-in-chief of Eurocorps

•  The Chief of Defence accompanied the Minister of Defence to the handover ceremony held in Strasbourg

The Chief of Defence (JEMAD), Admiral Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, accompanied the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, to the inauguration ceremony of Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz as Commander-in-Chief of the Eurocorps (COMEC), held in Strasbourg.

This change of command reinforces Spain's commitment to European security and defence. The new COMEC, who has extensive experience in international operations and led the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) between 2022 and 2025, is the fourth Spanish lieutenant general to hold this position since the creation of the Eurocorps in 1992, replacing, on this occasion, Polish Lieutenant General Piotr A. Błazeusz, who had held the position since April 2024.

The Eurocorps, a headquarters staffed by military personnel from six framework nations (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and Poland) and five partner nations (Austria, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Turkey), is a fundamental pillar of European defence and stands out for its interoperability and key role in international operations. Spain, which contributes 20% of the personnel, reaffirms its commitment to multinational cooperation and collective security with the new COMEC.

In 2024, Eurocorps played a crucial role as NATO's Joint Task Force Headquarters (HQ JTF) and, in 2025, it assumed responsibility as the Headquarters of the European Union Battle Group Force (FHQ EUBG), demonstrating its versatility and strategic relevance in the international arena at the disposal of NATO and the EU.