Pistorius will receive his certificate of appointment from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday and will take his oath of office in the Bundestag, Hebestreit continued. Scholz described Pistorius as an “exceptional politician”. “Pistorius is an extremely experienced politician, with experience in administration, has dealt with security policy for years and, with his competence, his assertiveness and his big heart, he is exactly the right person to lead the Bundeswehr at this decisive moment,” said the chancellor. German on Tuesday in Berlin.
He is convinced that this is someone “who can work with the troops and whom the military will like very much”. Furthermore, Pistorius is someone “who also has the strength and calm he needs for such a huge task given the current turning point”.
Pistorius wants to “make the Bundeswehr strong”
Pistorius wants to take Bundeswehr members “very closely” with him as he modernizes the troops. He assured Tuesday in Hanover that he would stand in front of the soldiers. He is very happy to take the job and knows how important it is in difficult times. The tasks for the troops are huge. “I want to strengthen the Bundeswehr,” said Pistorius.
Scholz: Pistorius is a “savvy politician”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has confirmed the appointment of Boris Pistorius (both from the SPD) as the new defense minister. Scholz described Pistorius as a “remarkable and extremely experienced politician”.
He approaches his new position with humility and respect. It is a great honor for him. He wanted to be 150% at work from day one, continued Pistorius. He certified Lambrecht that she had made the beginning of the reorganization of the Bundeswehr.
With one man succeeding Lambrecht, the parity in the federal cabinet that Scholz was really aiming for is lopsided. So far, eight men and eight women have held ministerial positions; now, without further changes, the ratio would drop to nine males and seven females.
guys a surprise
In recent days, several other names have been touted as possible successors, including Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil and Military Commissioner Eva Högl. Pistorius is now a surprise. The Minister of the Interior of Lower Saxony is considered to be an experienced political manager. In recent years, Pistorius has gained a reputation as an expert and experienced politician among federal and state interior ministers.
Pistorius: “Make the Bundeswehr strong”
After the resignation of German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (both SPD) will succeed her. “I want to strengthen the Bundeswehr,” said Pistorius. He approaches his new position with humility and respect. He wanted to be 150% at work from day one, continued Pistorius.
At conferences of interior ministers in German federal states, Pistorius, who is considered a pragmatist, has always enjoyed discussing with conservatives like former Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) on the open stage, insightful, with direct but never disrespectful comments, how was said. Although he always remained in Lower Saxony, he was also involved in the internal political positioning of the federal SPD in election campaigns and coalition negotiations.
Roses by Habeck and Lindner
German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) sees Pistorius as well-suited for the new role. “Boris Pistorius is a very experienced politician who has the nerves of steel needed in difficult situations,” the vice chancellor said in a statement on Tuesday. He always considered Pistorius binding and trustworthy. The future defense minister will take office at very crucial moments, Habeck said, in view of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The signs of security and defense policy have changed. There are also important decisions to be made in the short term.
Even before the official confirmation, the German finance minister and the third party in the coalition, the leader of the FPD, Christian Lindner, reacted. “Congratulations to my new cabinet colleague Boris Pistorius. We have a big task ahead of us, especially with the implementation of the special fund,” he tweeted. He hopes for good cooperation between the finance and defense ministries.
CDU: “B squad”
The CDU/CSU, in turn, criticized the staff. “The chancellor shows that he is not serious about his own turning point,” said Union faction vice president Johann Wadephul (CDU), the dpa. “Once again, knowledge and experience with the Bundeswehr play no role,” Wadephul criticized. The personnel is a “B-team cast”. With that, Chancellor Scholz managed to “create a real surprise. Unfortunately, it’s not a good one.” To advance in the Bundeswehr, you need not only money, but also experience. “Given the situation, Boris Pistorius will not be able to have 100 days of training,” Wadephul said.
The head of the CSU regional group, Alexander Dobrindt, recalled the time pressure due to projects that were left behind. “Lost time must be made up for,” Dobrindt said on Tuesday in Berlin. Pistorius is taking on a challenging assignment, which CSU wishes him well.
Meeting with Western allies already on Friday
Scholz was under considerable time pressure when making the decision. Western allied defense ministers will meet on Friday to discuss further arms deliveries to Ukraine. It should also be about the question of whether Germany will deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks or at least give other countries permission to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Pistorius was repeatedly said to have ambitions for political office at the federal level. For example, there were rumors that he could become Germany’s Minister of the Interior if Nancy Faeser ran for the SPD in the state elections in Hesse. However, the German Ministry of Defense is generally considered an ejection seat and therefore also a potential career killer.
Third term as Minister of the Interior in Lower Saxony
Pistorius, 62, completed an apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trader in his youth. From 1980 to 1981 he completed military service, after which he studied law in Osnabrück and Münster. Pistorius has been Lower Saxony’s interior minister since 2013, and his third term began a few months ago. Prior to that, he was mayor of Osnabrück from 2006 to 2013. Pistorius is a widower with two daughters.