Despite good poll numbers
Pistorius: I will no longer seek any other office
December 9, 2023, 2:56 a.m
According to the Forsa Institute, Boris Pistorius is currently the most popular politician in the country. The SPD politician is satisfied with his job in the Ministry of Defense. “For me, this is not a stepping stone to higher tasks,” he says in an interview.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is no longer seeking any other office despite his continued popularity in surveys. “For me, this is not a stepping stone to higher tasks,” Pistorius told “Stern”. It is an advantage to have joined the military department at the age of almost 63. “I don’t have to use tactics or avoid sensitive topics out of consideration for my career.” It’s not an easy position, said Pistorius: “And yet I have it easier than others because I don’t carry the baggage of further ambitions with me.”
According to the October ranking by the polling institute Forsa, Pistorius tops the list of the country’s most popular politicians. As in September, the Osnabrück native received 57 out of 100 possible points from the Germans. Pistorius is surprised at his consistently high approval ratings. “It surprised me,” said the SPD politician in the annual review interview. “I take it as a compliment and I’m happy about it.” But it is also clear that popularity ratings are changing again. “I have no illusions about that.”
“Mistakes were considered a career break”
Pistorius described the decision-making processes in the Bundeswehr as “often tough and slow” as a negative surprise when he took office. “People had gotten used to the fact that almost all questions go through many levels all the way to the top. This is how these almost endless processes arose.” In addition, there was no modern error culture in the force.
“Mistakes were considered a career break. If, for example, you joined the ministry as an officer, the motto was sometimes: it was better to stay inconspicuous for two years than, if in doubt, attract unpleasant attention,” says Pistorius. If you want to make faster decisions, you have to become bolder. “This includes the risk of making mistakes, as long as they are not committed through gross negligence.”
To relieve stress, Pistorius revealed that he rows on the same rowing machine as actor Kevin Spacey in the US series “House of Cards”. “It’s really great because it’s not as loud as the hydraulic rowing machines.” A balanced social life, as well as family, friends and partners, also help him. “Since the death of my wife eight years ago, I realized that I was born with a special level of resilience, which helped me a lot back then,” said Pistorius.