German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, weakened by a series of blunders, presented her resignation to Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday January 16. The name of his successor is not yet known.
“The focus of the media on my person for months hardly allows for objective reports and discussions about the soldiers, the Bundeswehr (the German army) and guidelines for 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.
Chain of blunders
This resignation comes at a time when 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, Christine Lambrecht, Social Democratic Minister of Justice in the previous coalition government of Angela Merkel, has chained blunders since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
She had aroused criticism from kyiv by announcing the shipment of 5,000 helmets, when the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky asked for heavy weapons.
A video in which she presented her vows in early 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,” 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. »