Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defense, speaks to the Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania on December 18, 2023.
Image: dpa
The Defense Minister doesn't complain, but does what he can. However, his tasks are enormous, and his opponents in his own party are quite a few.
DThe fact that the Defense Minister is so well received is thanks to his straightforward nature and hands-on manner. In the first few months of his term in office, the Social Democrat Boris Pistorius was able to successfully present himself as a doer. The former Interior Minister of Lower Saxony quickly became the most popular politician. Next to him, Chancellor Olaf Scholz appears quite weak. In general, the impression is that if things aren't making progress with the Bundeswehr, it's by no means the fault of the Defense Minister.
During his first visits to the army, navy and air force, Pistorius received an extremely friendly welcome, with long lists of items left behind. Because the “turning point” that Scholz announced at the beginning of 2022 had by then passed the Bundeswehr almost without a trace. A lull instead of a turnaround. The warmth with which the troops and ministers treated each other also had something to do with the departure of their predecessor; everyone was relieved.
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