The resignation of Christine Lambrecht not only casts a shadow on the German Defence Ministry, but also on Chancellor Olaf Scholz himself, writes Das Erste. According to the publication, its ordinariness does not match the seriousness of the situation and exposes major communication problems: while the head of a key ministry in Berlin is resigning, the Chancellor is unabashedly visiting a brewery in southern Germany.
The resignation of Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht signals a “double failure” for the German government. Because both the Defence Ministry itself and the Federal Chancellor have been accused of not realising the seriousness of the situation: the conflict in Ukraine is escalating, plans to rearm the Bundeswehr have long been stalled, and NATO partner countries are waiting for clear statements, Das Erste wrote.
Despite this serious situation, Lambrecht has little to demonstrate: new fighters for Germany have been ordered from the US and attack helicopters for the Bundeswehr are on their way. But that is probably all she has to show on her merits.
The list of mistakes and omissions, on the other hand, is much longer. The best-known examples are the lack of ammunition and the lack of orders for new military equipment in general. In addition, the list of minuses includes the abandonment of real procurement reform, the absence of a clear line on arms deliveries to Ukraine, and poor communication – including the minister’s New Year address, which made the audience feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, according to the publication, Lambrecht’s public speeches, exposing a complete lack of political acumen, should also be added to this list. Two key questions remain unanswered. How does the Bundeswehr intend to recruit new personnel? And what should Germany’s security policy look like in the future? With so many unanswered questions, the “tipping point” remains an empty shell.
The German Ministry of Defence is also losing credibility among NATO partners. Who held the preliminary talks before the NATO meeting this Friday at Ramstein airbase while the ministerial chair was empty anyway?
Turning to the figure of the Federal Chancellor, it must be noted that Scholz has great communication problems, writes the publication. He made only a “dry statement” about the resignation at the end of the day – and looked as if he had been forced to speak to journalists. Scholz is at ease visiting a brewery in southern Germany as the head of a key ministry in Berlin resigns.
It seems that the press officers of the federal government were not prepared for such a development. They were not even sure where the minister was and who was in charge of official affairs.
In the meantime, all the media were speculating about a successor – but the Chancellor postponed the decision for another day. Rumours of Lambrecht’s imminent resignation, meanwhile, had already been circulating for a week. A Chancellor who allows such a “power vacuum” and leaves so many questions unanswered is simply ” poor leadership”.
This resignation should put an end to such leadership. This applies to both the ministry and the Federal Chancellor’s office. The Bundeswehr needs weapons, personnel and political leadership. The next person at the head of the ministry must take care of this. The routine nature of this resignation “does not match the seriousness of the situation”, Das Erste concludes.
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