His departure was announced on Friday. It became effective Monday, January 16. Christine Lambrecht, German Defense Minister tendered her resignation to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in a press statement.
“The focus of the media on my person for months hardly allows for objective reports and discussions about the soldiers, the Bundeswehr [l’armée allemande] and directions of security policy in the interest of German citizens”, laments Christine Lambrecht in her statement. In this context, “I asked the Chancellor today to relieve me of my duties as Minister of Defence”she adds.
According to her, “the valuable work of the soldiers and the many motivated people must be in the foreground”, while Germany is planning investments of 100 billion euros to modernize its army, following the war in Ukraine. The name of the person who will succeed him is not yet known.
This resignation comes in the context where Germany is again under pressure to deliver tanks to Ukraine. A meeting of Western allies, around the United States, will be held on Friday at the American base in Ramstein. New aid to Ukraine, invaded by Russia, should be announced on this occasion.
Aged 57, Mr.me Lambrecht, social-democratic justice minister in Angela Merkel’s previous coalition government, has made a series of blunders since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24.
series of blunders
Mme Lambrecht also embodied, in the eyes of the Ukrainian regime but also of the Germans, the shortcomings of an army whose equipment is outdated. She aroused criticism from kyiv by announcing the shipment of 5,000 helmets, when the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky asked for heavy weapons. In mid-December, Berlin had to suspend new orders for Puma tanks after a series of breakdowns affecting tanks already in use by the army.
Finally, a video in which she presented her wishes, at the beginning of January, had also earned her taunts and criticism. 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 special impressions from it.”also slipped the Minister on the subject of the Russian invasion, evoking “many, many encounters with interesting and wonderful people”. “For that, I say a big thank you. »