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Marie-Agnes-Strack-Zimmermann in a top-level discussion with Markus Feldenkirchen: »People are murdered every day in the Ukraine«
Photo: DER SPIEGEL
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) assumes that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) “took a long time or took longer to internalize the dimensions of this attack by Russia on Ukraine”.
In the SPIEGEL top-level discussion with moderator Markus Feldenkirchen, the chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee said that there were people in Parliament "who spontaneously, just at this moment of the attack, guessed what was happening," said Strack-Zimmermann.
Today Scholz has “a greater overview than he spontaneously had”.
Strack-Zimmermann has repeatedly accused Scholz of hesitation in Ukraine policy, for example on the issue of arms deliveries.
In the SPIEGEL talk, she said that if Scholz ever met her after their joint reign, she would suggest that he go for a beer together to open up some things - "why something happened and why it didn't come."
»Real failure« in Ramstein
She renewed her criticism that the German government did not promise to supply Leopard 2 tanks at a meeting of countries supporting Ukraine in Ramstein in January.
"I thought that was really, really bad," she said.
In particular, she found the public communication of the Federal Government inappropriate.
»Good and bad news must also be conveyed to people in a communicative way.
And that was a real failure.”
In January there was a meeting at the US base in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, to discuss further support for Ukraine.
Contrary to what had been hoped for by Ukraine, no decision was made to supply Leopard 2 tanks - this followed a few days later.
The FDP MP rejected allegations that she had made a kind of business model out of criticism of Scholz.
"That's probably what the Chancellor's Minister says," said Strack-Zimmermann, referring to Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD).
One should not look at them, but at what is happening in Ukraine.
»And people are murdered there every day.«
Secretary of Defense?
"If you had asked me, I would have said yes"
In the SPIEGEL talk, Strack-Zimmermann said that she would have liked to have become part of the federal government herself – as Minister of Defense.
“If you had asked me, I would have said yes.
And probably not slept for many nights,' she said.
However, that was never up for debate, she added.
After the conclusion of the negotiations, it was clear that the SPD would fill the post.
Initially, Christine Lambrecht headed the defense department, but after numerous mishaps and criticism of her administration, Lambrecht was replaced by Boris Pistorius.
"It's a task where you can hardly win and it's extremely tough," Strack-Zimmermann continued.
"Because you are held responsible for everything that hasn't happened decades before."
Friedrich Merz?
"The CDU should be ashamed of him"
Strack-Zimmermann is known for her pointed statements, and she also likes to dish out to the opposition.
In the top discussion, she reiterated her criticism of CDU leader Friedrich Merz.
She believes that Merz "is very self-centered, very vain," she said.
“He is not one who moves crowds emotionally.” She is not sure “whether Friedrich Merz is the loyal party leader who sometimes lets all fives be straight in coalitions”.
Strack-zimmermann hard criticized Merz's choice of words.
When the leader of a party that has the word "Christian" in its name calls climate activists "terrorists," she finds that "extremely unchristian," said the FDP politician.
She also cited Merz's controversial "Pascha" statement as an example.
"The CDU should be ashamed of him."
Angela Merkel replaced Merz as Union faction leader in 2009 because he "had an attitude that got on her radio".
There are many women who see it the same way, said Strack-Zimmermann.
She had sharply mocked Merz during a Bütten speech at the Aachen carnival without naming his name.
In her speech, she described Merz, among other things, as a "mid-sized aircraft dwarf".
After that, she said, she received letters and emails from CDU women who liked the speech.
The SPIEGEL top talk with Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is available on SPIEGEL.de on Thursday evening.
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