Lambrecht is reportedly giving up her post as defense minister.
Defense Minister Lambrecht has decided to resign. The initiative for this did not come from the Chancellor’s Office. The search for a successor is already underway. Voices of relief are coming from the FDP and the CDU/CSU about her departure.
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht wants to vacate her post. This is what ntv has learned from SPD circles. According to the report, the SPD politician made the decision herself and was not pushed to take the step by the Chancellor’s Office around Olaf Scholz. Internally, the search for a successor is already underway. In the SPD, the defense commissioner Eva Högl and party leader Lars Klingbeil are being considered. After today’s SPD meeting, the parliamentary group had assumed that Lambrecht would continue to sit out the criticism.
A video of New Year’s greetings from the minister, which was perceived as unfortunate, had recently increased the pressure on Lambrecht, who has been the subject of criticism for some time. Opposition politicians questioned her suitability and demanded her resignation. Bild“ and „Süddeutsche Zeitung“ also report that Lambrecht has now made a decision to this effect on her own initiative. An official announcement is expected on Monday, reports „Spiegel“. According to the report, Lambrecht had spoken with Scholz several times since the beginning of the year about withdrawing.
However, the decision comes as a surprise at this point. At the SPD’s caucus meeting, which Scholz also attended, there was still nothing to suggest a premature departure. Most SPD deputies were therefore caught off guard by the decision. The timing is also remarkable, however, because next week Ukraine’s supporter countries will meet in Ramstein to decide on further military aid. By then, at the latest, the German government will also have to take a position on the growing demands of partner countries such as Poland for the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks. Groundbreaking decisions are on the horizon, and the minister responsible for implementation will then only be on call.
Speculation about cabinet reshuffle
Chancellor Scholz had only recently expressed confidence in Lambrecht. Asked if Lambrecht continued to enjoy the chancellor’s confidence, a vice-government spokesman replied, „Yes, of course.“ He added that the chancellor works „well and in a spirit of trust with all his cabinet colleagues, and that also applies to the minister referred to.“ The spokesman went on to say that the chancellor also stands by his December statement that he considers Lambrecht a „first-class defense minister.“ „Nothing has changed in that regard.“
A spokesman for the German Defense Ministry told AFP news agency on Friday evening: „These are rumors that we do not comment on.“ According to „Spiegel, the SPD leadership also did not want to comment. For some time, there has already been speculation about a possible cabinet reshuffle, as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is being traded as the top candidate of the Hessian SPD for the state election. Faeser is chairwoman of the state party, which plans to decide on the personnel at the beginning of February. The state election will be held in the fall.
Kubicki and Wadepuhl welcome resignation.
A possible new appointment to the ministry is up to the SPD, FDP Vice Chairman Wolfgang Kubicki told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. However, he stressed, „It would be good this time if this immensely important ministry is led by someone who has the necessary background knowledge.“
„A resignation would be overdue,“ Johann Wadephul, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). „Because Ms. Lambrecht obviously did not have the right relationship to this office at any time,“ the CDU politician said. „And she ultimately had no feel for the troops.“
Source: ntv.de, jwu/shu/rts