The video on the Instagram internet service shows Lambrecht on New Year’s Eve on a street in Berlin. Her thanks and wishes to the servicewomen and men can hardly be understood, however, because they are drowned out by the noise of cannon fire. In the recording, the minister then says: “There is a war raging in the middle of Europe. And that meant a lot of special impressions for me that I was able to gain – many, many encounters with interesting and great people.”
Lambrecht’s ministry did not want to rate the video or the criticism of it. Lambrecht spoke on her private Instagram channel, said a ministry spokesman. “As far as I know, no official resources have been used,” he added. It is not the ministry’s job to comment on the minister’s appearance.
Coalition defense politicians were also reluctant to back Lambrecht. Union politicians, on the other hand, took the video as an opportunity to confirm doubts about the suitability of the minister. “The disturbing video from New Year’s Eve shows again that Ms. Lambrecht has no attitude towards the office she holds,” said CDU defense expert Wadephul of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Tuesday edition).
“The video reminded the chancellor at the beginning of the year that he had an urgent personnel problem in the Bendlerblock,” the CDU MP continued. It is significant that this video begins with Lambrecht’s own state of mind, “instead of thanking and acknowledging the soldiers.”
Ex-Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) pointed out on Twitter that Lambrecht’s Instagram appearance also caused astonishment abroad. “Does the chancellor really care nothing about Germany’s impact in Europe and the world?” he wrote. The CSU defense expert Florian Hahn wrote: “This video speaks for itself. What an embarrassment, what a miscast.”
