Chancellor Olaf Scholz would not have dropped his SPD party friend Christine Lambrecht on his own initiative. He could hardly have believed that she would make a “first-class defense minister”. At least initially, Scholz was firmly convinced that Lambrecht would be able to get the defense department under control without any prior technical knowledge with the experience of a justice minister. He appreciated their loyalty and staying power in the face of headwinds.
In the meantime, however, it has turned into a storm that has finally brought them to their knees politically. She is not responsible for many breakdowns and shortcomings in the Bundeswehr, she also worked to fix them – albeit without the necessary enthusiasm.
In combination with a series of unfortunate appearances, the negative highlight of which was a bizarre New Year’s Eve video, the image of an incompetent minister became more and more solid. Clear poll majorities called for their withdrawal.
Obviously, Christine Lambrecht could no longer escape this momentum of events. But she has also done little to change her entrenched public reputation. The minister was considered unapproachable, gave journalists little opportunity to talk and therefore not enough material to tell a new Lambrecht story.
Party members did point out again and again that more was achieved for the Bundeswehr during their term of office than in previous years. But this was due less to the minister than to the warlike circumstances in Europe and the chancellery’s decisions such as the special fund.
Never found a connection to the troops
She never really found a connection to the troops. The picture of a department head resistant to advice, who preferred to gather close employees from her own party around her, was drawn behind closed doors from the staff. However, without a certain backing in the Bundeswehr or even against it, it is impossible to govern. Lambrecht has now seen that. For that she deserves respect.
In such a dramatic security situation, it is risky to replace the holder of command and authority. The new person will not be given any grace period. While NATO’s eastern flank has to be secured and material handed over to Ukraine, it is also necessary to identify the right reforms for the Bundeswehr. “At least she was now familiar with the issues,” Lambrecht said to the benefit of generals and officers.
So Scholz has to rely on experience. If he now thinks about the successor, the military commissioner Eva Högl, the Secretary of State for Defense Siemtje Möller or party leader Lars Klingbeil, in whose constituency the large Munster military training area is located, will certainly appear in it. Scholz cannot afford another wrong decision in terms of personnel policy.
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