“If the Free Democrats think I’m the right person for this job, then I’ll agree,” said Strack-Zimmermann on Wednesday evening on the ARD program “Maischberger”. “I believe that (…) we underestimate the power of Europe,” stressed the woman from Düsseldorf. As a German citizen and politician, she would like “that we in Germany play a bigger role in Europe”.
As a result of the Ukraine war, she has dealt intensively with Europe’s security policy role and is convinced that “it is more important than ever to act on a European level,” said the defense politician.
The FDP state chairmen had already agreed on Strack-Zimmermann as Europe’s top candidate. She will be the front woman in the European elections next year, as the party explained to the German Press Agency on Monday. Strack-Zimmermann had brought the desire for the EU top candidate himself to party leader Christian Lindner. The FDP will advise on the further course at a three-day federal party conference in Berlin from Friday. Strack-Zimmermann is chair of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag and is known for arguing passionately and publicly for her goals and – as with arms aid for Ukraine – also standing up to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
