Monday 17 January 2022
Exchange with the Bundestag
“Tumbling” about generals annoys Strack-Zimmermann
“Tacheles” instead of “geeiere around” – that’s exactly what the chairman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Strack-Zimmermann, wants from generals in communication with the parliamentarians. So far, however, they have not shown much courage, she complains.
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, calls for more openness from the Bundeswehr generals in the Defense Ministry. “Personally, I would like the generals in the ministry to have significantly more clarity and less fluff,” said the FDP politician to the “Welt”.
The generals were reluctant to commit themselves to parliament, she criticized. “In the field, military leaders give orders that are succinct and understandable. When dealing with politics, there is a bad habit of keeping 23 emergency exits open or calling after the mouth of the house management.” That’s pretty unbearable. “The Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army,” emphasized Strack-Zimmermann. “In addition to the political assessment of the ministry, we parliamentarians also need clear military advice in order to be able to form an opinion.”
Under Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, she expects a new culture of openness, “more gossip in military advice – and less messing around, shaped by the fear: who could I annoy with my statements now, and what does that mean for my career?”