German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday amid criticism over her response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a series of gaffes.
The resignation comes at a time when her agency is leading a massive project to modernize the country’s armed forces and oversee the expansion of arms supplies to Ukraine.
Christine Lambrecht said in a statement that she had submitted her resignation to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that “months of media attention on my person” have hampered actual debate about Germany’s military and security policy.
“The valuable work of the soldiers and many people in my department should be at the forefront,” she said.
There was no word on a possible replacement.
The 57-year-old woman has been defense minister since Scholz became chancellor in December 2021. Critics have long portrayed her as out of sorts, but Scholz has backed her up, calling her a “first-class secretary of defense” last month. The pressure on her has intensified recently after a thoughtless New Year’s video message.
Lambrecht’s resignation comes at a sensitive moment as Scholz faces mounting pressure to take another significant step forward in German military assistance to Ukraine by agreeing to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks. Earlier this month, Germany agreed to provide Kyiv with 40 Marder armored personnel carriers and an anti-aircraft missile Patriot battery.
In recent months, Germany has provided significant support to Ukraine, including howitzers, Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and the first of four IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems. But critics, some of whom are part of Germany’s ruling coalition, have long lamented Scholz’s seeming hesitation about more aid. Lambrecht was overshadowed on this issue by the Chancellor, who made most of the important announcements.
Lambrecht was then Deputy Finance Minister Scholz before she was appointed Minister of Justice in 2019. She also served as Minister for Family and Women’s Affairs during the final months of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s rule.
She was respected in these positions, but was considered by many to be one of the weakest links in the Scholz government in the Department of Defense.
The infamous unwieldy department has a history of declining ministerial reputation.
Its importance increased with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This prompted Scholz to announce a 100 billion euro ($108 billion) special fund to modernize the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, which had suffered years of neglect and, in particular, aging, poorly functioning equipment.
Last month, Lambrecht dismissed suggestions that the government was too slow to start spending money. She said officials acted quickly, but “such projects should be carefully discussed – this is tax money.”
The minister has also been criticized for poor communication since announcing in January 2022 that Germany would supply Ukraine with 5,000 military helmets, a “very clear signal that we are on your side.”
In April, she took her 21-year-old son with her on a military helicopter flight, which was revealed when he posted a photo on Instagram that the minister appeared to have taken herself. Her ministry said she applied for the permit and paid the costs herself, but critics said it showed shortsightedness.
An amateurish New Year’s video message on her personal Instagram account provoked new calls from the opposition for Lambrecht’s resignation and undermined the patience of political allies.
It showed a barely audible Lambrecht speaking against the backdrop of loud New Year’s Eve fireworks on a Berlin street.
“War is raging in the center of Europe,” she said. “And in connection with this, I had many special experiences that I was able to acquire – many, many meetings with interesting, wonderful people.”
