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Bundeswehr soldiers during exercise: Inadequate equipment, unclear responsibilities and the bureaucratic madness of a peace army
Photo: Fabian Bimmer / REUTERS
It is the end of September, and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is already building.
On this evening, the CDU Defense Minister honors the resigned Defense Commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels in the large ballroom of a Berlin hotel.
At the beginning of May, their own parliamentary group denied the militant Social Democrats a second term of office, and now, due to the corona-related delay, his departure will be made up for.
Medical soldiers are standing at the hotel entrance and use fever pistols to check the temperature of the 150 guests.
Many generals have come, one or the other state secretary, department head, MP.
Only the leadership of the SPD parliamentary group and the new defense commissioner Eva Högl are missing.
The guests are seated at tables that are far too big when the minister goes to the lectern.
"How good that you never get tired even after your term of office," Kramp-Karrenbauer reads the manuscript of her celebratory speech word for word.
She is looking forward to the study on the future of the Bundeswehr that Bartels is currently preparing.
"I hope it won't be too bad!" She says.
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