Germany: Defense Minister resigns after a series of blunders
Aged 57, Ms. Lambrecht, Minister of Justice in the previous coalition government of Angela Merkel, has chained blunders since the start of the war in Ukraine.
AP - Markus Schreiber
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Under fire from critics for months, Christine Lambrecht's withdrawal comes at a delicate time as the war in Ukraine continues and Germany wants to reform its army.
Olaf Scholz will not be entitled to error for his succession of the Minister of Defense.
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The caricature in the daily
Tagesspiegel
this Monday morning is cruel, underlines our correspondent in Berlin,
Pascal Thibaut
.
We see a civil servant in a chaotic office on the telephone: “
Hello, this is the service responsible for supplying the Bundeswehr.
I wanted to cancel the gaffe order placed for the minister.
She doesn't need it anymore.
»
Christine Lambrecht announced this Monday, January 16 in writing her resignation expected for several days.
An amateur video
published by the Minister of Defense for the New Year had finished ruining his reputation.
The minister appeared there in the center of Berlin, disheveled by gusts of wind, evoking the war in Ukraine between two explosions of firecrackers and fireworks, particularly popular with the Germans to celebrate the new year.
“
A war is raging in the middle of Europe.
I was able to draw many particular impressions from
it”, slipped in addition the minister about the Russian invasion, evoking “
many, many meetings with interesting and formidable people.
For that, I say a big thank you.
The Social Democrat had been criticized for months for her blunders.
She had notably announced the sending of 5,000 helmets, when the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky asked for heavy weapons.
Casting error
He was criticized for his lack of knowledge of military files and structures, the too slow reform of the German army despite the establishment of an exceptional fund of 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr or his reluctance to militarily support the 'Ukraine.
With a weakened Minister of Defense by his side, Olaf Scholz had been able to manage the main military decisions of the past few months directly.
But the casting error for which the Chancellor is accused does not plead in his favor.
Three out of four Germans wanted Christine Lambrecht to resign.
Succeeding him will not be easy to manage "
the new era
" for Germany announced by Olaf Scholz last February.
►Also read
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Germany
Defense
Olaf Scholz