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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Angela Merkel's presumed darphine, became Defense Minister on Wednesday to replace Ursula von der Leyen. REUTERS / Hannibal Hanschke

A woman replaces another woman at the head of the German Ministry of Defense. After the election on Tuesday, July 16, to the presidency of the European Commission of the outgoing, Ursula von der Leyen, it is the president of the CDU Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer who will take the orders of this ministry. A choice that is a surprise. This appointment of the Chancellor's Dauphine should allow AKK, as it is called, to prepare the succession of Angela Merkel.

From our correspondent in Berlin , Pascal Thibaut

German women politicians have a taste for risk. Ursula von der Leyen announced Monday before the vote of the European Parliament that she would leave the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday 17 July. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer plays her all. After repeating that she did not want to return to the government, the president of the CDU changed her mind. She has not brought her party the air of expectation since her election last December. The Europeans have been a historic failure.

The popularity of AKK is in free fall. Seven out of ten Germans believe that Angela Merkel's runner-up would not be a good Chancellor. By taking the defense portfolio, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer can prove her ability to manage, establish her stature at the head of a sovereign ministry and establish international contacts. This position may make it easier to succeed Angela Merkel as a candidate for Chancery in 2021 or before the end of the legislature.

But the risks of failure are important. The Ministry of Defense has been shaken by many problems and scandals in recent years. The inheritance is heavy and difficult. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who has held several ministerial posts in her small region of origin, Saarland, will have to prove that she has the scale needed to run a billion-strong Bundeswehr with a budget of 44 billion euros.