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Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann wants "less messing around" from the generals (photo from December)
Photo: Christoph Hardt / IMAGO
The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is pushing for more openness from the Bundeswehr generals in the Defense Ministry.
"Personally, I would like the generals in the ministry to have significantly more clarity and less fluff," said the chair of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag in an interview with "Welt".
The generals were reluctant to commit themselves to parliament, said Strack-Zimmermann.
“In the field, military leaders give orders, concise and understandable.
When dealing with politics, there is the bad habit of keeping the emergency exits open or calling the house management after their mouths.« That is »pretty unbearable«.
"The Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army," said Strack-Zimmermann.
“In addition to the political assessment of the ministry, we parliamentarians also need clear military advice in order to be able to form an opinion.”
She expects a new culture of openness from Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), “more fuss in military advice – and less messing around, shaped by the fear: who could I annoy with my statements now, and what does that mean for my career? «
Plea for US fighter jet
Strack-Zimmermann also spoke out in favor of acquiring F-35 fighter jets as successors to the outdated Tornados for the German Armed Forces.
"Most Allies fly this system," she said.
"I think it's a good solution if we continue to develop the Eurofighter with a view to the Franco-German project for a fighter aircraft of the future."
In the past legislative period, the Inspector of the Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz, proposed a mixed solution consisting of the older US jet F-18, which is to be used for nuclear sharing and electronic warfare, and Eurofighters.
There is also talk of replacing the Tornados solely with Eurofighters.
Strack-Zimmermann said she would appreciate it if Gerhartz would "take another look at" the F-35.
Nuclear sharing is about aircraft that, in an emergency, bring nuclear weapons stored in Germany to the target.
The Tornado was previously intended for this task, but it has now been in use for 40 years and needs to be replaced.
fek/dpa/AFP