New Year's speech triggers calls for German defense chief's resignation

GENEVA

German opposition politicians and defense experts are calling for the defense minister to step down over a New Year's speech they called an “embarrassment.”

In the speech, posted on Instagram, Christine Lambrecht said the year 2022 presented Germany with incredible challenges.

"There’s a war raging in the middle of Europe. And associated with that, for me, were very many special impressions that I was able to gain, many, many encounters with interesting and with great people. For that I say a heartfelt thank you," she added, with background fireworks making it hard to hear her words.

Those words in particular – the subject of the Ukraine war perhaps juxtaposed with the festive background and remarks about “great people” – rankled opposition politicians and security experts. Serap Guler, an opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker, indirectly called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to dismiss Lambrecht.

Guler, the daughter of Turkish guest workers, wrote on Twitter on Sunday: "The speech about the war with New Year's Eve firecrackers in the background just crowns her series of embarrassments. So for every additional minute in which the chancellor still holds on to this minister and thus further damages the reputation of our country, he can be held accountable."

"Who’s supposed to take us seriously like this anymore?" added Guler.

Former CDU leader Armin Laschet also criticized Lambrecht, saying on Twitter: "Does the chancellor actually care about Germany's impact in Europe and the world?"

Security expert Ulrike Franke of the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations think tank also criticized Lambrecht's speech on Twitter Sunday, calling it "so unbearably insensitive.”

There is a war going on in Europe and Lambrecht talks about meeting great people, Franke added, asking rhetorically: "Have they lost their minds in Berlin?"

This is not the first time Lambrecht has come under fire. Markus Soder, leader of the CDU’s partner the Christian Social Union (SCU), had already called for her resignation in December, telling daily Bild: "With Ms. Lambrecht, it would simply be better if she quit voluntarily."

"Anyone who can't even manage to order ammunition and struggles to buy some American fighter jets is simply not up to the office," he added.

In December, CDU Secretary General Mario Czaja had also said Lambrecht was unqualified. Prompted by problems with the German Puma infantry fighting vehicle, Czaja told news channel NTV: "Especially in these difficult times (she’s) by far not the right person for the office."