German Defense Minister to Resign

By Staff, Agencies

German reports unveiled that defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has decided to resign and will do so next week.

The minister has already discussed the move with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, two media outlets citied sources close to the politician.

According to Bild, Lambrecht made the decision of her own volition. Neither the government nor the defense minister has officially commented on the reported move so far.

The reports follow a major scandal that saw opposition politicians and journalists calling for Lambrecht’s immediate dismissal. The uproar was sparked by her ill-fated New Year’s Eve address, in which she said that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev had given her many “special impressions” and allowed her to meet many “interesting and great people.” Her speech was immediately lambasted as “embarrassing” and “inappropriate.”

The leaders of the biggest opposition bloc – the Union – then accused Scholz of making Lambrecht the defense minister to further weaken the German Armed Forces, which have been struggling with personnel shortages and equipment malfunctions for years.

Lambrecht’s tenure as defense minister also saw another scandal involving military equipment. In December, the nation said it would halt the procurement of modern domestically-produced Puma infantry fighting vehicles due to numerous malfunctions. Lambrecht described the development as a “major setback.”