Reports that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is about to step down have sparked a follow-up debate. Several politicians spoke out in favor of clarifying the personal details as quickly as possible. But is he an option? Eva Högl and Siemtje Möller both have good chances.
Who follows Christine Lambrecht? Christine Lambrecht is silent. Nothing was made public from the Chancellery on Saturday either. It is true that the hapless minister’s resignation is likely. But when, where and by whom the decision should be announced remains open for the time being. Both Eva Högl and Siemtje Möller have good chances.
Siemtje Möller won the direct mandate of the Friesland-Wilhelmshaven-Wittmund constituency in the 2017 federal election. After the 2021 federal election, the 39-year-old will be Parliamentary State Secretary for the Federal Minister of Defence, Christine Lambrecht.
She was a member of the committee of inquiry into the consultant affair surrounding Ursula von der Leyen. At the time, the committee revealed that administrative investigations in the Ministry of Defense were not being pursued, but were intended to relieve the political leadership.
The consultant affair was about illegally awarded consultant contracts worth millions and nepotism. Ursula von der Leyen wanted to completely overhaul the Bundeswehr and make it fit for the digital future. To do this, she brought Karin Suder from the consulting firm McKinsey on board as State Secretary, who brought in other close confidants and cobbled together numerous orders for her former employer. A total of up to 40 million are said to have flowed into consultations.
Also read: Advisor affair in the Ministry of Defense – “Factual complete failure”: New report draws devastating conclusions from von der Leyen
Högl is also considered a promising candidate for a possible successor to Christine Lambrecht. The 54-year-old was a member of the German Bundestag for eleven years and has been the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces since 2020.
In the course of the Ukraine war, Högl discussed a significant increase in the Bundeswehr special fund from 100 to 300 billion euros in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” (FAS). Högl emphasized that “it would not work without new production capacities”.
A possible replacement of the ministry is the responsibility of the SPD, said FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki to the newspapers of the Funke media group. However, he emphasized: “It would be good this time if this immensely important ministry was led by someone who had the necessary background knowledge.”
In the debate about Lambrecht, the chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), was repeatedly mentioned as a possible successor.
Also read: Defense Secretary Debate – Is she resigning? Who could follow Lambrecht
