Reports on today’s resignation
Klingbeil: Lambrecht has “great support”
01/16/2023 12:42 am
Klingbeil is the first leading SPD politician to comment on media reports that Defense Minister Lambrecht is to resign today, Monday. He is covered, only talks about a closed decision by his party, which will then be announced together.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has left the further political fate of Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht open. He does not comment on media reports, said Klingbeil on Sunday on ZDF, referring to reports from several media that the SPD politician would announce her resignation as minister on Monday. Lambrecht has “great support,” said Klingbeil. What the SPD has to decide, they will decide collectively and then announce.
Klingbeil was the first leading SPD politician to comment on the defense minister since the first reports of his resignation on Friday evening. The SPD leader is traded as a possible successor to Lambrecht.
There is also speculation about the appointment of the previous military commissioner Eva Högl, the parliamentary state secretary in the defense ministry, Siemtje Möller, and the previous labor minister Hubertus Heil. The ARD also named Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt as a possible successor and reported that it was unclear whether the successor would be announced when the resignation was expected in the morning.
Demands for a high-profile successor
In its coalition with the Greens and the FDP, the SPD is at the top of the defense department. On January 20, the western allies meet in the so-called Ramstein format to discuss further arms deliveries to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz will deal with other difficult questions, namely whether Germany will supply Leopard 2 tanks or whether other countries will be allowed to hand over Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
In the event of the defense minister resigning, former military commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels is calling for a top-class successor. “Defense policy has now become existential for Germany; it is no longer a political side issue,” said the SPD politician to the editorial network Germany (RND). “The decision about the successor should be based on that. The chancellor needs someone with great political fighting weight.”
Other requirements he mentioned included organizational experience and: “A bit of love for the Bundeswehr is also part of it.” The former Bundeswehr Inspector General Hans-Peter von Kirchbach told the RND: “It should be a political heavyweight. What doesn’t matter is gender.” In the “Bild” newspaper, the chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, André Wüstner, called for a person who “can be placed across party lines” and who understands “the big picture”.
In addition, the new person should “be able to integrate, be able to cold start, be knowledgeable, willing to reform and assertive”. Wüstner added: “Nobody expects magic to happen in the first few weeks, but a message of departure would be more important than ever.” On Friday evening, several media reported unanimously that Lambrecht was about to resign from her ministerial post. There is no official confirmation for this so far. Lambrecht has been criticized for months, and the opposition Union has repeatedly demanded her resignation.