Lambrecht under pressure: Next SPD party friend is evasive - but Faeser also reacts

Created: 05/24/2022, 05:09

By: Cindy Boden

The defense minister had to listen to calls for his resignation in the Bundestag.

Scholz is still behind her.

But a colleague sets her own standards.

Berlin – Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has a lot on her plate.

Bundeswehr special fund, weapons in the Ukraine war, criticism of her person.

Although the defense minister's bad ratings don't stop, she says she doesn't see herself in self-defense mode.

"I don't have to justify myself at all.

I have to make it clear what I stand for and what decisions I make - that's my job, and that's what I do," said the SPD politician on Monday (May 23) in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".

But outwardly this does not seem to be the case.

In any case, in the ZDF "Politbarometer" on May 20, Lambrecht was in last place in the top ten of the most important politicians.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz "should fill the Ministry of Defense soon, purely on the basis of qualifications," says a

comment.

I will measure her by what she achieves for the Bundeswehr.

Eva Högl on Christine Lambrecht

The criticism of her has no influence on the struggle with the Union for the planned Bundeswehr special fund, Lambrecht now asserted.

"It doesn't play any role in these negotiations, it doesn't play any role in the day-to-day business I'm in," she said on ARD.

Organizing support for Ukraine and better equipping the Bundeswehr - "that requires all my energy".

SPD colleague describes Lambrecht as a "assertive woman" - and wants to see Bundeswehr performance

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, evaded an interview question about Lambrecht's suitability for office.

“Christine Lambrecht is a very experienced politician, a clever lawyer and a very assertive woman.

I will measure her by what she achieves for the Bundeswehr," the SPD colleague replied to the

when asked if Lambrecht was the right person for the job.

You know Lambrecht as "very clear, very clear".

She "got into all the topics very quickly, is knowledgeable, sets accents".

Evasive support.

But the list of allegations against Lambrecht is quite long: She is on the brakes on the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

She was also further criticized because she had visited a very small Bundeswehr unit nearby immediately before a vacation on Sylt and had herself and her son flown there by helicopter.

She is also in trouble because she blurted out internal SPD considerations that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser could stand in the 2023 state elections in Hesse.

Lambrecht under criticism after Faeser's statement - Interior Minister is "usually" not annoyed with colleagues

Christine Lambrecht (SPD, l.), Federal Minister of Defence, and Nancy Faeser (SPD), Federal Minister of the Interior and Homeland, take part in the Federal Cabinet meeting in the Federal Chancellery (archive photo).

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

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In this regard, Faeser also responded again on Monday - without really committing himself.

When asked whether she would still be Federal Minister of Sports in 2024, she said in Wiesbaden: "I am Interior Minister with full force." As Federal Minister of the Interior, Faeser is also responsible for sports.

Faeser explained that she is currently concentrating very much on fighting sexualised violence against children, organized crime and hatred and hate speech on the Internet.

"These are not things that you have done the day after tomorrow, you also need the appropriate time for that.

Everything else doesn't matter to me."

When asked how annoyed she was about Lambrecht, who had started this debate about her, the SPD woman said: "I'm usually never annoyed with my colleagues."