Press
After the chairwoman of the defense committee calls for the public prosecutor because of a possible betrayal of secrets, she herself receives criticism from the SPD. The FDP chairman Lindner reacts.
Berlin – The FDP chairman and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has sharply rejected attacks from the SPD on the chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann.
“The allegations from the SPD are disproportionate and false. This is distracting from a factual debate. There may be an attempt to silence a colleague with a clear opinion,” said Lindner in a video interview with the German Press Agency.
The critic
After the secret meeting of the Defense Committee on Monday last week, information about the Taurus cruise missile was made public. 105 people took part in the meeting. Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) expressed surprise that Strack-Zimmermann had allowed this.
The SPD parliamentary group's defense policy spokesman, Wolfgang Hellmich, asked how Strack-Zimmermann can “ensure that the Defense Committee works independently and trustingly.” Hellmich announced: “I will therefore suggest that these and other questions be discussed in a round of democratic representatives without the committee chair.”
Lindner warns against smear campaign
Lindner now stood in front of his party colleague. “There are also different opinions in the German Bundestag under the conditions of cooperation in the coalition. “Different opinions on the matter must not now turn into a campaign against a colleague,” he warned.
Strack-Zimmermann has a very clear position. Lindner: “And the fact that it is now being attacked on a different level because of its clarity in support for Ukraine is actually not appropriate for a coalition.”
He said that Green MP Konstantin von Notz had already pointed out problems of security and confidentiality to Bundestag President Bärbel Bas. Lindner demanded: “Now we have to ask whether the President of Parliament has also followed up on these tips.” dpa
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