The resignation of the German defense minister seemed inevitable after a series of disputes that weakened her position in a key ministry and demanded that the political class give her a new impetus.
On Friday evening, several local media outlets, including the newspapers Bild and Sueddeutsche Zeitung, reported that Minister Christine Lambrecht had decided to resign and that she had informed Chancellor Olaf Scholz of her decision.
Lambrecht, 57, a member of Schultz’s Social Democratic Party, has recently come under fire for communication problems, a series of mistakes and a failure to assert her authority.
And NTV reported that the minister will announce his resignation on Monday at a critical time when Germany is holding consultations with its Western allies to decide whether to transfer battle tanks to the Ukrainian army.
As he toured the Baltic coast on Saturday to open a liquefied natural gas import terminal, Schultz avoided any questions about his minister’s future.
The leader of the Christian Democratic opposition, Friedrich Merz, said: “This hesitation and this expectation is harmful…”.
The German chancellor is under pressure from abroad and within his alliance to allow the shipment of German-made Leopard tanks known for their might to Kyiv.
On Friday, Germany awaits the arrival of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who will meet with his counterparts from the G7 and the European Union to discuss the provision of additional military assistance to Ukraine.
Lamprecht’s image was rocked by an unfortunate holiday video in which she said she was grateful for all the “meetings” that allowed her to navigate the conflict in Ukraine.
In January 2022, she was criticized for announcing that 5,000 helmets would be sent to Ukraine, which then required heavy weaponry to protect against a possible conflict with Russia.
According to a recent Civey poll of 5,000 people, 77% of Germans support her departure, while only 13% want her to stay.
Source: AFP.