A German Government source has confirmed that Minister for Defence, Christine Lambrecht has resigned “to allow someone else to make a fresh start at the Ministry”.
Ms Lambrecht (pictured) has been blamed for failing to get the armed forces into shape quickly despite a €100 billion ($A155.5 billion) special fund being agreed on for that purpose after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The long-running debate over the state of Germany’s defence capabilities intensified last month when several Puma infantry tanks were put out of service during a recent military drill.
In addition, Germany’s promise to invest at least two per cent of its economic output on defence was put on hold, making the country laggards in the NATO military alliance.
Now Berlin is confronted with the dilemma of whether to send battle tanks to Ukraine, with Ms Lambrecht in the middle of the debate about supplying the modern, Western-made tanks to Kyiv.
She was recently criticised by media and opposition figures for posting an outdoor video on social media on New Year’s Day in which she thanked servicemen and women, but struggled to be heard against background noise from firecrackers while seemingly mixing up the war in Ukraine with pleasant personal encounters.
“What kind of a year was 2022? It faced us with many incredible challenges,” Ms Lambrecht said on the video.
“There is a war raging in the middle of Europe,” she said.
“Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people.”
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Hoegl, and Junior Minister for Defence, Siemtje Moeller have been listed as potential successors.
Berlin, 16 January 2023
