Status: 06.01.2023 4:25 p.m
The CSU uses its retreat in the Seeon monastery to criticize the federal government. Party leader Söder accused the chancellor of “absolute weakness in leadership” and asked him to fire an “overwhelmed” minister.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has not only been criticized since her New Year’s Eve video. For the CSU, the SPD politician is “simply overwhelmed, from start to finish”. This is how party leader Markus Söder put it at the start of the retreat of the CSU state group in the Bundestag in Seeon Monastery. He asked Chancellor Olaf Scholz to dismiss Lambrecht.
“Every day longer creates more uncertainty. And if you find it difficult to recognize that, it may be, then the Chancellor must act. That is a real leadership task of the Chancellor,” said Söder. It was an “absolute leadership weakness” on the part of Scholz that he left his federal government’s greatest weakness in such a central department in office.
The Federal Ministry of Defense is the most important ministry in terms of Germany’s credibility as an international security partner, said the CSU chairman. “Nothing went right there all year. Breakdown after breakdown.”
Lambrecht had once again drawn sharp criticism with a New Year’s Eve video that was distributed on Instagram at the weekend. In it she took stock of the year 2022, which was marked by the war in Ukraine, her words were repeatedly lost in the whistling of New Year’s Eve rockets and exploding firecrackers.
Kirsten Kirschik, ARD Berlin, currently Seon Monastery, on the CSU winter retreat
tagesschau24 2 p.m., 6.1.2023
CSU tip for further tank delivery
Söder and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt demanded that Leopard main battle tanks be delivered to Ukraine. Dobrindt said that military training for Ukrainian soldiers on “Leopard” 1 and 2 must now begin. Now is the right time for it. For the actual tank delivery, Dobrindt spoke out in favor of supplying the “Leopard 1” model from industry stocks and the “Leopard 2” from the Bundeswehr stocks. “It would now be imperative to make this decision,” he said.
Scholz would have the chance to act himself and offer the “Leopard”, said Dobrindt. He again accused Scholz of hesitation. “It’s always the same pattern: people wait too long – until a point in time when you can’t do anything else politically. And only then do you act.” In Europe, German leadership is understood differently.
After a long wait, the federal government decided to also supply the Ukraine with “Marder” infantry fighting vehicles. They are said to be surrendered to the country attacked by Russia in the first three months of this year. It is about 40 copies, as confirmed by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.