German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has written a resignation letter, requesting it from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The statement was published by the German Ministry of Defense.
"Today I asked the federal chancellor to resign as federal defense minister," Lambrecht said in a brief statement.
Lambrecht's statement on Monday noted that "months of media attention" on her persona "hardly allow for the facts and discussion" of Bundeswehr issues and decisions in the field of security policy.
"The first priority should be the valuable work of soldiers and many motivated people in the field of defense," she said.
Lambrecht was in power for about 13 months. It was criticized not only for the massive lack of equipment and the indecisive course in the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Her behavior at work was also criticized within the ministry. A New Year's greeting video from the minister, perceived as a failure, has recently increased the pressure on her again, according to AFP.
The mass media reported on Lambrecht's plans to resign from Friday evening. Since then, there has been speculation about a number of possible successors. Party leader Lars Klingbeil, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, War Commissioner Eva Hegl, politician Wolfgang Schmidt and Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Defense Sime Möller were named from the SPD.
After Federal Family Minister Anna Spiegel (Greens), Lambrecht (SPD) became the second cabinet member to resign in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government.
