Has the defense failed with Lambrecht?

1.

Does Lambrecht do the Scharping?

After a long radio silence, the chancellor calls Vladimir Putin again.

The Foreign Minister leads the round with her G7 colleagues.

The finance minister wants to use frozen Russian assets to finance reconstruction in Ukraine.

The traffic light does not give the worst picture of crisis management (even if there was a mini scandal in the Defense Committee today - more about that here).

War is raging in Ukraine, the red-yellow-green government team is doing its utmost to help, that's the message.

But this image is distorted at one crucial point, almost becoming a caricature: of all people, the defense minister.

The notorious helicopter flight by Christiane Lambrecht is one of the smaller problems.

What my colleagues Mathias Gebauer, Konstantin von Hammerstein, Veit Medick and Christian Teevs have researched about the minister brings back memories of embarrassing predecessors such as Scharping (»Rudolf the Conqueror«) or Guttenberg (»Doctor of the Reserve«).

Of course, every case is different, but Lambrecht has long since lost control of their public impact.

And that has little to do with an alleged campaign that she senses against her.

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Minister Lambrecht: First fail, then fall?

Photo: Marlena Waldthausen / Agency Focus

Apparently, as the colleagues report, she is irritated by her department and the troops with a pronounced lack of interest.

"The accusation that the new holder of command and command authority has no idea about the subject is unfair," write my colleagues.

“Many of their predecessors didn’t have that either.

But they had countless conversations, milled through mountains of files and notes, visited the troops and were usually quickly fascinated by this unusual ministry, which oversees 265,000 people.«

However, the same cannot be said of Lambrecht: she skips appointments, does not familiarize herself with the subject, has never spoken to some of her most important generals in person, never saw the inside of a barracks before taking office, and prefers going on a skiing holiday to one that has already been prepared To go on a Christmas trip to one of the foreign assignments - although that is a duty for every defense minister.

"In mid-December, Lambrecht flies to Lithuania for a few hours with the Bundeswehr, then she says goodbye to Ischgl over Christmas and New Year." remarkable.

In politics, it's never just about expertise, but always about impact, see Lauterbach.

Only those who gain people's trust can organize majorities and get things done.

If neither professional competence nor intuition are recognizable, it will be difficult.

To put it in the words of my colleagues: "Politically, the social democrat is a total failure." Lambrecht need not fear for her office until the North Rhine-Westphalia elections.

After that, the chancellor might have little interest in defending his defense minister.

• Read the whole story here: The zero-buck minister 

And here is more news and background information on the war in Ukraine:

• "Do you know how many dead people fit into a 300-meter-long grave?":

  Lyudmila Denisova is Ukraine's top human rights guard.

  Since the beginning of the war, they have received more than 30,000 complaints.

  Here she explains why she has hope that Putin could face trial.

• How much did ten weeks of war change Russia?

  Stricter laws, arrests, prison sentences: it is becoming increasingly difficult to voice criticism in Russia.

  This applies to journalists as well as to the general public.

  The Podcast Eight Billion.

• Videos show how Russians shoot civilians:

  Surveillance cameras have recorded how Russian soldiers apparently kill two unarmed Ukrainians.

  In Ukraine, the case is now being investigated as a war crime.

• Find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine here: The News Update

2.

The dentist with the alleged Kremlin powers

My colleagues Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer found out about an insane robber's pistol: According to this, an enterprising dentist and his Ukrainian lover were well on their way to swindle large and very valuable properties in Berlin from the Russian government - under the eyes of German authorities, who fell for forged documents.

Is it a brazen case of fraud - or a state affair?

Photo:

[M] Ole Schleef / DER SPIEGEL: Paul Glaser / picture alliance / ZB;

Kay Nietfeld / picture alliance / dpa;

THE MIRROR (3)

My colleagues Sven Becker, Jörg Diehl, Roman Lehberger, Sven Röbel and Gerald Traufetter joined the research team.

Sven and Gerald drove to one of the properties allegedly sold illegally at the old airfield in Berlin-Karlshorst, which has now been confiscated by the public prosecutor.

As soon as the two stood at the locked gate of the derelict site, a car with a Russian license plate pulled up close to them.

The man at the wheel was using two cell phones, and his passenger got out.

When asked if she came from the embassy, ​​the woman avoided.

But she is responsible for the security of the property.

"Anyway, now the Russians are probably taking better care of their property in Germany," says Sven.

• Read the whole story here: How soldiers of fortune stole valuable real estate in Berlin from the Russian state 

3.

The last for the last matchday

Enlarge image

Robert Lewandoskwi: Missing soon

Photo: IMAGO/Revierfoto

Tomorrow is the last match day of the Bundesliga (click here for the SPIEGEL team of the season).

It could be the last for Robert Lewandoski in the Bayern jersey.

Let's imagine that the "Situation in the Evening" was a news program, then I would now hand it over to my sports colleague with as many football phrases as possible: Jörn Meyn is in the studio for us.

Trenkamp,

Jörn, how certain is it that the record champions will have to do without their goalscorer in the future?

Meyn

,

: Everything points to it, Oliver.

Lewandoski's contract actually runs until 2023, which he will not extend.

It is no longer improbable that there will be a separation this summer, which was excluded internally by the club two weeks ago.

Now Bayern seem ready to negotiate.

And FC Barcelona are interested in Lewandoski.

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Let's imagine this newsletter being a news program: "Let's just stand up to that."

Photo: ZDF/DER SPIEGEL, collage: DER SPIEGEL

Trenkamp

,

Thank you Jörn.

What does that mean for Bayern?

Meyn

,

: It would be a heavy loss, Oliver, one that could pose a threat to sports director Salihamidzic.

He has to put up with critical questions anyway - because of his weak squad policy, because of the conflict with the seven-title coach Hansi Flick, which ultimately led to his departure.

And because he was bad at managing major issues, both internally and externally, such as the Joshua Kimmich vaccination debate.

Trenkamp

,

: And now he loses one of his best men...

Meyn

,

: Right, right.

It is also striking how little Oliver Kahn has so far publicly engaged in the case.

Trenkamp

,

: The goalkeeper?

Meyn

,

: Uh, right, the former goalkeeper and current CEO.

Here the crucial question arises: disaster or normal football business?

Did Bayern gamble when they negotiated with Erling Haaland in March and alienated Lewandowski?

Or did you plan conscientiously ahead because it was clear that Lewandowski would eventually get too old?

Trenkamp

,

: Thank you very much, Jörn.

That, haha, let's stand up to that now, as the, uh, thing from Milan said.

Or was it Italy?

Well, pointe broken, never mind, for shooting.

Meyn

,

, exits .

• More background here: The Lewandowski dispute 

(Would you like to receive the "Situation in the evening" conveniently by e-mail in your inbox? Order the daily briefing as a newsletter here.)

What else is important today

• Musk suspends Twitter purchase, share crashes:

  Tesla boss Elon Musk has announced that he will put his takeover of Twitter on hold – allegedly to check fake accounts.

  Twitter stock loses Musk suspends Twitter purchase, stock plummets

• Long-distance rail traffic will probably remain disrupted until Saturday:

  travelers will also have to be prepared for train cancellations and delays on Saturday.

  The repair of a cable is obviously very expensive.

• The environment ministers of the federal states are calling for a temporary speed limit:

  the measure is intended to reduce oil consumption and replace biofuel.

  The pressure on the traffic light coalition in the federal government is growing.

My favorite story today:

Fynn Kliemann became a star with clumsy do-it-yourself videos, dubious mask deals are now destroying his career.

At the beginning I devoured every message and here in the newsletter I drew attention to the remarkable interview that my colleagues Jonas Leppin and Anton Rainer were able to conduct with Kliemann.

Then I thought the box was through.

The new SPIEGEL is here, you can find the complete issue here – or from Saturday at the kiosk

Now Anton and Jonas, together with their colleagues Nike Laurenz and Julia Stanek as well as Jan Böhmermann's team, have researched new details that leave you somewhat speechless.

"It's not just about numbers and dubious production conditions," says Jonas.

"It's also about refugee children on Lesbos who were given defective masks and were thus exposed to a risk." And one company also received at least one donation receipt for these masks.

• Read the full story here: Kliemannsland below 

What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today

• "A coalition is not a marriage":

  Lisa Paus is the newcomer to the office of family minister after Anne Spiegel's resignation.

  Here she talks about a difficult house, problems with the FDP and the project she wants to be measured against.

• "Well, then I'll send you a picture of me":

  Allegations of harassment shake the center of rabbi training in Germany.

  They draw attention to an apparently toxic system – at the center of which is Managing Director Walter Homolka.

• Why I can't just go back to normality:

  Alone in a shared room instead of full university life: During the corona pandemic I got used to life in solitude.

  Now I have to get the “caveman” label put on me.

  That's not fair .

Which is less important today

Ozz Extension

:

37, best known as the daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, 73, the Godfather of Metal and Prince of Darkness, is now expecting a child herself, as she told her followers via Instagram.

She published a selfie in which she kisses her lips and holds some ultrasound images into the camera.

She writes: "I'm euphoric!"

Typo of the day

, now corrected: »Because it is not the case that there are no LNG terminals in all of Europe«

Cartoon of the day:

You still have that right?

And tonight?

/ And on the weekend?

Following a recommendation from my colleague Jurek Skrobala, could you listen to Kendrick Lamar's new album, albeit with the old Fanta Four rule: chanting isn't for everyone.

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Lamar has kept his listeners waiting 1855 days since his fourth studio album »DAMN.«

"So damn long, much too long," says Jurek.

But at least Lamar – unlike his unreliable colleague Kanye West – delivered on time today.

"For that reason alone it's appropriate to spend the next two days with the music that one of the most interesting living artists has taken so much time for," says Jurek.

That goes well in a convertible ("Die Hard"), at the blue hour on the way home from the club ("Rich Spirit") or as a replacement for the evening at the cinema - at 73 minutes, the album "Mr.

Morale & the Big Steppers« anyway almost feature length.

(Read the full review here.)

Have a nice weekend.

Yours sincerely,

Here you can order the »Situation in the Evening« by e-mail.